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General News

3 December, 2019

Endoscopy service up and running at Mareeba Hospital

THE new endoscopy service at the Mareeba hospital has seen its first patient last week and is set to see many more through its doors.

By Rhys Thomas

Endoscopy service up and running at Mareeba Hospital - feature photo

THE new endoscopy service at the Mareeba hospital has seen its first patient last week and is set to see many more through its doors.

The new endoscopy service is used to diagnose gastrointestinal tract diseases such as cancers and detect abnormalities of the digestive tract, helping to combat them quicker.

With the new service being opened at the Mareeba hospital many locals will not have to make the lengthy trip and spend several days in Cairns for the same service.

Local Dimbulah resident Maree Hore was the first user of the service and was amazed at both the staff and the process.

“All the nurses and all the theatre staff were amazing, they put me through the whole process with no stress,” she said.

“The whole experience met and exceeded my expectations.

“The staff were so friendly and nice that I felt completely comfortable.”

Mrs Hore believes that the locality of the new service will provide much better use to the local residents and save them the costly trip down the range.

“I think it’s awesome that we now have this kind of service in Mareeba,” she said.

“People now don’t have to go all the way to Cairns and stay over a weekend.

“I would love to see similar or more endoscopy services provided in the future.”

Mrs Hore would also like to thank the incredible staff at the Mareeba hospital including Dr Toby Hopton and Director of Medicine at Cairns Base Hospital Dr Peter Boyd.

Mareeba Hospital’s Dr Toby Hopton said he was ecstatic to see the service now offered in Mareeba.

“We spent a lot of time referring patients to Cairns and Atherton for this service, and for many of them they don’t have the means to travel those distances, so purely from a convenience standpoint it is really beneficial,” he said.

“In addition to that, it is fantastic to see services this important being offered in regions – healthcare is integral and hopefully we can see other services make their way to the Mareeba Hospital.”

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