Ted Whitten Jnr with staff members from Sunshine Hospital after the EJ Whitten Foundation provided the hospital with funds to purchase a new bladder scanner. 85080
THE EJ Whitten Foundation recently provided Western Health with vital funds to purchase new equipment for Sunshine Hospital’s Radiation Therapy Centre.
The organisation raised $22,500 which went towards acquiring a new bladder scanner.
This most recent contribution by the foundation, established in memory of the legendary Footscray footballer Ted Whitten who died of prostate cancer, will provide thousands of patients with crucial treatment for a life-threatening disease.
Since opening just over a year ago, close to 1000 patients have received care at the hospital’s radiation therapy centre, which is a partnership between Wester Health and Peter Mac.
It is the first time there has been a public radiation therapy service in Melbourne’s West.
Western Health chief executive, Kathryn Cook, said the vital piece of equipment was essential in managing potential bladder complications for patients with urology and prostate cancer during radiation therapy treatment phases.
“Until we received the funding, we had no bladder scanner on site in this centre, which had a significant impact on patients and was very challenging for staff who would have to access the only other bladder scanner in another part of the hospital campus,” Ms Cook said.
Ms Cook said it is fitting to have the support of an organisation “born and bred” in the western suburbs, just as Western Health is also very much born and bred in Melbourne’s West.
