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Toowoomba Hospital

The Toowoomba Hospital provides a range of hospital and specialist services as well as a medical testing, education, community health and allied health services.

Discussion regarding the need for a hospital in the region began in 1856 in Drayton, however the dramatic growth in Toowoomba meant the first public health service was set up in Russell Street, Toowoomba in June 1859. This early hospital operated from a small rented house. Five years later a timber hospital was constructed on the corner of Ruthven and James Streets and destroyed by fire just three years later. A brick building was designed by Richard George Suter to replace it.

The Toowoomba General Hospital was established on its present 11 hectare site in 1880. Some of the original buildings and structures remain today. The unusually decorative morgue, constructed in 1896, is a rare surviving 19th century morgue and an open air, isolation ward is also still present. The isolation ward was built in 1916, in a "distant corner [of the hospital] and under the shade of several large trees" (Toowoomba Hospital, 2006). It was thought that because germs circulated in the air (a relative new concept at that time), infected patients should be kept away from others in open areas to protect others and allow the germs to disperse. The isolation ward is now gardener's accommodation. By the 1920s, the Toowoomba Hospital was one of the biggest and best equipped in Queensland, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

SourcesToowoomba Hospital (2006). http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/heritage/index.cgi?place=601296

Saint Vincent’s Hospital Toowoomba

Saint Vincent’s Hospital is the largest acute private hospital on the Darling Downs.

The Saint Vincent’s Hospital Toowoomba was established in 1922 by the Sisters of Charity, a group of women religious. The Sisters of Charity were the first sisters to come to Australia after European Settlement, arriving in December 1838.

After over 80 years, Saint Vincent's has developed a reputation for excellence in healthcare and provides a range of medical and surgical acute care services. The hospital provides medical specialists, allied health, pathology and diagnostic services in a range of fields including oncology, obstetrics and gynaecology and surgery. The hospital and the Sisters of Charity also run an outreach service which provides pastoral care, a volunteer program and service for the poor and disadvantaged.

Located in East Toowoomba, an area which is fast becoming a healthcare precinct, the hospital is services by Sunbus' Kan-go Service. The bus service, travels a route from the city centre to Saint Vincent's and can also deliver pre-booked passengers to their home. There is parking available on Mackenzie, Scott and Curzon Streets. The hospital also has a public carpark on Scott Sreet and via entrance 4 on Curzon Street. A free taxi telephone is located in the main foyer.

Saint Andrew’s Toowoomba Hospital

St Andrew's Toowoomba Hospital is a modern, private hospital.

A number of facilities and services are provided, including: Cardiac Catheterisation Lab, Cardiac Rehab, Diabetes Education, Diagnostic Breast Clinic, Head and Neck Clinic, Home Nursing, Palliative Care, Pre-admission Clinic, Renal Dialysis Unit, Sleep Studies, St Andrew's Cancer Care Centre and Mental Health Unit: West Ward Clinic.

Registered as a charity, the hospital is administered by a Board who are appointed by the Presbyterian Church of Queensland.

Transport to and from the hospital is made available through the local public transport service (Route 6), which stops directly at the front of the Hospital. There are also a large number of public carparks.

This page was last updated: 1 week ago.
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