By Laura Michell
A respiratory clinic has been set up in the Macedon Ranges to assess people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.
Central Highlands Rural Health recently opened the clinic in the old ambulance bays at the rear of Kyneton hospital.
Chief executive Maree Cuddihy said the clinic was built in response to the health service’s concerns about a possible rise in COVID-19 cases and other respiratory illnesses locally during winter.
She said the clinic built on the health service’s existing coronavirus screening service, which has been in place at the hospital since mid-to-late-March.
“During that time, we have had about 30 to 40 people in the community who have been calling the hospital and they have been talking to the nurses who have triaged the calls. Some of those people needed to come in for testing and that is generally about eight to 10 people a day,” Ms Cuddihy said.
“We are up to about 200 people who have been tested since we opened.”
Ms Cuddihy said the clinic meant that patients with COVID-19 symptoms, or who may have come into contact with someone with the virus, won’t need to enter the hospital for testing.
“[The clinic] is very basic but will certainly serve us well for the next couple of months,” she said.
“We hope you won’t need to see us at our respiratory assessment clinic but if you do, we are ready for you.”
The respiratory clinic features three rooms and was built in one week with the support of the community and local businesses.
“[Dr Robert Power] contacted friends who are tradespeople and also local businesses to see if he could encourage them to donate their services,” Ms Cuddihy said.
“I really want to stress our thanks to these amazing community members who really came together in a very short period of time and accomplished this temporary clinic really within a week.
“We feel really grateful.”
The opening of the clinic comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in the Macedon Ranges remains steady at five.
The clinic will operate Monday to Friday, from 1-3.30pm. People are asked to call Central Highlands Rural Health on 5422 9900 before attending the clinic to make an appointment for testing.
