Thirteen years of an almost ongoing crisis of funding shortfalls has ended, as the Keith hospital officially becomes part of the public health system.
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00:00 Dr. Darry Kuku has become part of the community in Keith.
00:05 "The past one year it has been wonderful.
00:07 Good support and the people have been very, very friendly, supportive and yeah, it's quite
00:12 wonderful, amazing."
00:13 Dr. Kuku has recruited his friend Bayu Adielu to also practice in Keith.
00:19 Dr. Kuku says the hospital becoming part of the Limestone Coast Local Health Network provides
00:23 more certainty for them to continue working in the town.
00:26 "I'm quite happy with it.
00:28 To help the community, also the hospital."
00:31 The future of the Keith Hospital wasn't as certain in 2010 when then Health Minister
00:34 John Hill cut $300,000 from its budget.
00:37 The decision was reversed three years later and funding increased after protests on the
00:41 steps of Parliament House as well as across Adelaide and the South East.
00:45 Fast forward and the Keith community voted last year for the hospital to become part
00:49 of the public system, with an urgent care system to be set up featuring a paramedic
00:53 and a nurse.
00:54 "Most of them can work in the emergency care where they can basically do almost anything,
00:58 save your life hopefully."
01:00 Hospital staff will now work for SA Health and that means they'll have easier access
01:04 to career options like being able to be transferred between hospitals.
01:07 "This gives staff a great opportunity but we also think that it's going to be a good
01:11 opportunity to recruit staff to this facility."
01:14 While the state government has provided $10 million to make the Keith model work, it's
01:18 also fulfilled an election commitment with an $8 million upgrade of the emergency department
01:22 at Narrow Court Hospital.
01:23 -END-
01:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]