Community

23 June, 2023

ONE of the Far North’s oldest hospitals – Babinda, which has just turned 100, – wasn’t supposed to reach the milestone.

A former Cairns Hospital board attempted to close the much-loved service more than 30 years ago with patients and treatments to be referred to Innisfail Hospital. But the community fought back, and people-power reigned supreme. More than 60 staff, former employees, patients, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service officials and residents gathered last Friday to mark the 100th birthday with a capsule burial, a birthday cake, speeches and morning tea followed by a 1920s-themed dinner dance celebration at the Babinda RSL Hall on Saturday. Former director of nursing Helen May told Cairns Local News that there were moves to close the hospital down during her time from 1981 to 2004. “They tried to shut us down and move everything to Innisfail, but it didn’t work,” she said. Ms May said she had to fight tooth and nail to get additional funding and services for the health facility and made some notable achievements including funding for a multi-purpose facility, aged care (10 units), home and community care, meals on wheels, ancillary nursing in the community and day respite care. Ms May said the hospital was vital for the small community especially when floods regularly cut access north and south of the town. The hospital is described as a multi-purpose health centre with 11 aged care beds and 11 acute care beds. It has 60 staff, including doctors, nurses, administration and other employees. Aunty Annie Wonga, who is 83 and lives at the hospital, gave the welcome to country. She was born at Babinda and is the last of the Wonga generation. Aunty Annie has lived at the hospital for the last six months and said she liked it because she was “safe and secure”. However, she does remember Indigenous patients being segregated and forced to be treated and sleep on the “draughty verandas”. “But that doesn’t happen now,” Aunty Wonga said. The longest serving staffer – nurse Colleen Martinod –has been at the hospital for 46 years. “But I’m aiming for 50 years. I’m not ready to leave,” she said. “I stayed here because I care about our community. I love my job, I’m not ready to retire. “All the nurses are like our family and outside work we socialise.” Ms Martinod said her three daughters were born at the hospital with two also working at the facility in the laundry and administration. Also at the birthday celebrations was Babinda’s oldest resident, 102-year-old Elsa Sganzerla. She moved with her parents from Italy to the town in 1922 when they became involved in cane farming. In 1943 she married the late John and together they operated the town’s garage (Babinda Automotive Engineers, now Torque Auto) and had one daughter and two sons.

By Nick Dalton

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