Thanks to the overwhelming support of the local community, St John of God Bendigo Hospital has acquired advanced da Vinci Xi robotic surgery technology, offering minimally invasive procedures with faster recovery for patients. This innovative technology also reduces the need for long travel and financial burdens for patients in regional and rural areas.
Associate Professor Janelle Brennan, Urological Surgeon at St John of God Bendigo Hospital, has been advocating for the benefits of making robot technology locally available for years. As a member of the community, she is also acutely familiar with the challenges regional patients face.
“Too often rural and regional Australians feel like second class citizens,” A/Prof Brennan said. “I feel passionately that our community, including me and my family, have access to the same care as someone who lives in Melbourne.”
A/Prof Brennan has played a key role in the fundraising campaign for the da Vinci robot. Her dedication to this cause is a reflection of her deep passion for improving health care in the area.
“It has an extraordinary impact, not just in the urology sphere where the robot is well recognised, but it enables us to really increase the complexity of surgery that we can do in the thoracic space, and the gynaecology space. We hope that the robot will enable us to provide a gynaecological oncology service,” she said.
“So as well as improving the number of surgeries and how we do it, it’ll also improve the scope of the surgery we can provide in the region.
“A second important reason – attracting the very best health care professionals to our hospital is dependent on having the most up to date technology. We know the amount of doctors that are available for regional Australians are much less per head compared to our metropolitan colleagues. We believe this new technology will enable St John of God Bendigo Hospital to continue to be a centre of excellence, and make sure our local patients receive the best possible care with recruitment of the up and coming next generation of surgeons.”
The local community has truly come together to support St John of God Bendigo Hospital’s bold fundraising goal for the da Vinci Xi surgical robot. Generous donations from individuals, families, businesses, clubs and community groups have turned this ambitious vision into a reality, and this incredible achievement will have a lasting impact on the Bendigo and Loddon Mallee region for many years to come.
A/Prof Brennan expressed her extraordinary thanks to donors for their generosity and their faith in their local hospital to make the robotic surgery program a success.
“We can never thank them enough,” A/Prof Brennan said.
“We’re only as good as the community that we serve and how they’re involved, and it’s up to us to repay that debt. And hopefully we will.”
A/Prof Brennan also emphasised donations in support of the robot would leave an incredible legacy.
“It is my hope that the current donors who’ve been involved in this campaign will be leaving a huge legacy for the next generation of doctors to see us as a centre of excellence to provide the best possible care,” she said.
“This donation is not just about the here and now, it’s definitely about the future, and I can’t thank them enough for their faith and commitment to the community where we live and work.”
Pictured in top image: The state-of-the-art da Vinci robot on arrival at St John of God Bendigo Hospital.