29 Jan 2016 Border Mail, Albury-Wodonga (General News) by Xavier Mardling UPPER Murray residents have caught a break with a new digital X-ray machine to be delivered by the middle of this year. The Victorian Government will fund the upgrade, which Upper Murray Health and Community Services chief executive Maxine Brockfield said would save many patients making a three-hour round trip to Albury-Wodonga for medical visits. Northern Victoria MLA Jaclyn Symes said more than $1 million would be spent in regional areas with Albury-Wodonga, Wangaratta and Benalla joining the Upper Murray in the medical equipment replacement program. Ms Symes said Albury Wodonga Health would receive $209,030 to replace smaller medical items such as fully ergonomic electronic beds and specialist patient chairs, defibrillators, imaging units, infant incubators, patient monitors, scopes and sterilisers. Core network switches will be replaced at Albury Wodonga Health, a wireless network infrastructure implemented at Benalla Health and optical fibre re-cabling will take place at Northeast Health Wangaratta. Ms Brockfield welcomed the news and said Upper Murray Health and Community Services existing X-ray machine would have been redundant in as little as two years. It will be a great diagnostic tool for a number of illnesses and fractures, she said. With the digital machine, its more state-of-the-art technology which gives us much better scope than the older equipment we have at the moment. We work closely with Albury Wodonga Health and Border Imaging so now we will be able to send things off straight away rather than having patients spend three hours in a car going to and from Albury-Wodonga. The new X-ray machine comes after an upgrade to the services ultrasound equipment. Ms Brockfield said a redevelopment of the Community Health Clinic in Corryong was due for completion in March. We feel like we offer a really well-rounded service for the Upper Murray, she said. Now we will be able to send things off straight away rather than having patients spend three hours in a car going to and from AlburyWodonga UMHCS chief executive Maxine Brockfield Caption Text: X-RAY VISION: Radiographer Petrina Hewatt, with patient Jeff Cooper, is looking forward to a new digital X-ray machine being installed at the Upper Murray Health and Community Service in Corryong. Picture: ELENOR TEDENBORG Copyright Agency licensed copy (www.copyright.com.au)