New services for medical centre

By Jade Lawton
BUNYIP’S community-owned medical centre celebrated the introduction of new services and a $87,000 cash injection this week.
Gippsland Pathology has opened a room in the centre and will be open from 8.30am-12.30pm, making house visits between noon-12.30pm for those that are too unwell to attend the centre.
Councillor Bill Pearson, secretary of the Bunyip and District Medical Residence Association, said it was an exciting time for the community facility.
“Two terrific things are happening here today. The fact that we have a new pathology service in Bunyip is fantastic,” he said.
“Our builder, Geoff, he was the one who said ‘why don’t you get a Pathology Service.’ To add to that, we will have an osteopath in the New Year.”
Renovations to the value of $87,000 are also taking place.
Cr Pearson praised the work of the community in getting the Medical Centre up and running and the continuos expansion.
“We’ve never received grants from Federal, State or Local Government – we were flat out just getting the rates dropped,” he said.
“It’s gone from a house and a wee little surgery to what it is today. So, to all those locals, we say thankyou for a job well done.”
Land for the medical centre was donated by the town’s first doctor, Dr Baldwin, and it opened in 1962 at a cost of £8784, of which 50 per cent was raised and donated by the community.