Plans are under way for building of a new medical centre on the Casuarina campus of Charles Darwin University after the private operators of the current medical surgery decided to close the existing practice on March 31.
Executive Director of Corporate Services at CDU, Dr Scott Snyder, said the University had worked with the doctors for eighteen months to find new arrangements to continue the practice.
Dr Snyder said that the University now had a practical solution under the new Voluntary Student Unionism funding program announced by the Federal Government.
He thanked Dr Duthie and Dr Annie Wells for their contribution to the medical service over many years.
The new centre will be built using $400,000 in funding recently awarded by the Federal Government to the University under the Support for Small Businesses on Regional University Campuses Program.
CDU has also recently indicated that it will work with the Darwin City Council to establish a precinct on the Casuarina Campus to offer sport and recreation amenities for students and the community utilising an additional $5 million dollar grant received from the Federal Government. The precinct is to include an aquatic centre and the medical centre.
The exact timeline for construction of the new medical centre has not yet been established, but will be tied to the development of the aquatic centre.
In the meantime, students requiring medical attention will be serviced by local doctors easily accessible to the University by public transport at Casuarina and other nearby northern suburbs.
Dr Ramdoss in Aralia Street, Nightcliff will offer bulk billing to students who hold a Medicare card. Dr Vicki Beaumont of Quandong Street, Nightcliff also offers a bulk billing service for concession card holders.
The Casuarina Family Practice in the Casuarina Shopping Centre, and the Casuarina Day and Night Practice are offering economically priced consultations to students.
The Casuarina Family Practice also has an arrangement to cater for CDU’s international students offered through OSHC Worldwide Direct Billing.