Mudgee Hospital’s operating theatre last week took receipt of a flexible cystoscope – a small camera device used to check for suspected problems in the bladder. 

The cystoscope was purchased with major donations from the Hospital Auxiliary ($17,778), The Property Shop Tradies Night ($5,038) and Aquarius Carwash ($2,500). 

Nursing Unit Manager of Theatre at Mudgee Hospital Trish Kempton said the device has been on the department’s wish list for two years. 

“This instrument means we can now do a ten minute procedure on local patients who otherwise would have had to travel to Dubbo,” Ms Kempton said. 

“It’s a ten minute procedure to determine whether they’ve got any bladder tumours or determine why they have blood in their urine. It’s a great diagnostic tool. 

“If we find anything untoward then we can then put them onto our next operating list to remove any bladder tumours or remove anything causing their symptoms.”

The procedure is performed by Dubbo-based Urologist Dr Bala Indrajit on regular visits to Mudgee. 

“This is something that we’ve been working on for about two years and we’ve finally got it,” Ms Kempton said. 

“This is our second flexible cystoscope and we’ve conducted three cystoscopies each time Dr Indrajit visits.

“So far that’s six patients that haven’t had to travel to Dubbo for this procedure. We are hoping to acquire another one but we don’t know when that will be or how we will receive that but we hope to build the clinic up to at least a minimum of five procedures every time Dr Indragit visits. That’s up to 60 patients a year.

“We feel if we can keep our patients here locally and we can give them the service locally that’s a lot better for them.”