Construction on a new 12-chair dental clinic in Footscray is expected to begin early next year.
Funded with $9.7 million in May’s state budget, the Cohealth (formerly Western Region Health Centre) facility will be built on the site of its existing adult clinic in Paisley Street. Cohealth operates two dental clinics in Footscray – Paisley Street and a children’s clinic in Geelong Road – which provide emergency and general dental care to more than 10,000 patients each year, including some of the community’s most vulnerable.
In April, Dental Health Services Victoria dubbed the Paisley Street clinic “the worst public dental clinic in the state” for the age and condition of the buildings and equipment.
The service has faced the threat of closure due to a raft of troubles, including vermin, termites, electrical hazards, rusty chairs and narrow passageways.
Cohealth chief executive Lyn Morgain said it was working closely with Maribyrnong council and Department of Health to deliver the long-awaited redevelopment.
“The new health centre will enable cohealth to provide more services across several disciplines in the one location and improve access to them,” she said. “It sits comfortably with council’s vision for a health precinct in this section of Paisley Street and is an exciting development that will improve health outcomes.”
Cameron Tait
