The largest community fun run and walk in Melbourne’s west – WalkWest – will this year raise funds for a surgical robot at Western Health.
Now in its 11th year, WalkWest will return to Footscray Park on Sunday, February 23, with more than 1000 participants expected to take part in a day of fitness, fun, and fundraising along the Maribyrnong River.
The goal of the 2025 event is to raise $140,000 to ensure patients in Melbourne’s west have access to state-of-the-art robotic surgery technology.
The cutting-edge technology allows surgeons to perform complex procedures with greater precision, leading to shorter recovery times, reduced complications, and less post-operative pain.
Western Health head of urology Dr Niall Corcoran said the surgical robot currently on loan was the only one available to patients in public hospitals in Melbourne’s western suburbs— and that it is here on borrowed time.
“Robotic surgery allows patients to benefit from all the advantages of keyhole surgery—less blood loss, less pain, a more rapid return to work, and shorter recovery times,” Dr Corcoran said.
“It isn’t the future of surgery, it’s the now.”
Dr Corcoran said rather than having one on loan, it was vital that a surgical robot was based in Melbourne’s west permanently.
“To offer a service that is contemporary best practice in Australia, we need to have access to robotic platforms now,” he said.
“It shouldn’t be a postcode lottery.”
Walk West is open to people of all ages and fitness levels with walks or runs taking place over 3km, 5km and 10km distances.
Cade Lucas
