Yallourn North Medical Centre is again open and providing care to the community thanks to the support of Latrobe Health Services and the Yallourn North Action Group.

The town had been without a local GP health service since the closure of the centre in late 2017. Knowing how important primary healthcare services are in its communities, Latrobe Health Services joined forces with the Yallourn North Action Group to identify and support an alternative medical service provider to reopen the centre, in Reserve Street, Yallourn North.

In December 2018, Latrobe Health Services signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maryvale General Practice Group (trading as Yallourn North Medical Centre). Latrobe Health Services committed to providing the building for a peppercorn rent for five years plus fixtures and IT services – an investment of up to $150,000 in support. This included a renovation of the centre that installed a new ceiling, carpet, air-conditioning, lighting, signage, furniture and security features.

Latrobe Health Services CEO Ian Whitehead said the excellent outcome was a group effort and a reminder of what strong community partnerships could achieve. “For us it’s all about ensuring our communities get access to GPs and health services, and us playing a role in supporting the community in achieving that,” he said.

“Our vision is to ensure we’re supporting and giving back to our community, and we simply couldn’t have done it without the strong advocacy from Yallourn North Action Group, together with driven and committed GPs from the Yallourn North Medical Centre, working towards the same goal,” Mr Whitehead said.

Yallourn North Medical Centre was officially reopened on Monday 29 April with a barbecue breakfast cooked by CFA volunteers and attended by community members, CEO Ian Whitehead, local member for Morwell Russell Northe and Latrobe City councillor Graeme Middlemiss.

Yallourn North Medical Centre’s general practitioners, Dr Charles Luiz and Dr Arti lnamdar, are offering GP services on Monday (9am to noon), Tuesday (9.30am to 2.30pm) and Thursday (9.30am to 2.30pm). Telephone: (03) 4120 0290