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Thursday / February 13.
HomeminewsDr Smita Agarwal Opens Private Hospital

Dr Smita Agarwal Opens Private Hospital

Dr Tony Scaramuzza, Anthony Vavaiyas, Clinical Assoc Prof Smita Agarwal, Alison Byrnes, Paul Scully, and Ash Agarwal.

Ophthalmologist and Clinical Associate Professor Smita Agarwal has established a state[1]of-the-art private hospital in Wollongong in partnership with her husband, Ash Agarwal, who is a solicitor with a management degree.

Victoria Street Private Hospital, in Victoria Street in the heart of Wollongong’s CBD on the NSW south coast, was officially opened by The Honourable Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully in November. Also in the official party were Alison Byrnes Minister for Cunningham, and ophthalmologists Dr Paul Hughes and Associate Professor Michael Hennessy. A host of industry partners, staff, family, and friends attended the event to tour the facility and participate in the celebrations.

OPHTHALMOLOGY AND MORE

The new Victoria Street Private Hospital has a dedicated operating theatre for ophthalmology with state-of-the-art technology that includes an Alcon Ngenuity system to perform surgeries without hurting the neck and shoulders, ceiling mounted 3D ZEISS Lumera microscope, Alcon centurion phaco machine with pressure sensors to control intraoperative intraocular pressure, and a constellation machine to provide vitreo-retinal surgery locally to the patients of Illawarra and Shoalhaven. The theatre is also equipped with a ZEISS Quatera phaco machine to run ophthalmic theatres at the same time if required.

A second theatre is equipped for use by surgeons from ophthalmology to a range of disciplines including gynaecology, gastroenterology, orthopaedics, faciomaxillary, dentals, and plastic surgery. With flexibility of use, hygiene, and workplace efficiency in mind, both theatres are designed so that almost nothing (other than the surgical beds and staff ) touch the ground. The hospital director of nursing has a wealth of experience in running day surgeries and works with a team of nurses “who offer nothing but quality care with a lot of empathy, care and kindness”, Assoc Prof Agarwal said.

The hospital has two areas for staged patient recovery and is licensed to accommodate up to two patients overnight, if necessary, although most patients will attend as day patients.

Alongside the private hospital, with its own entry vestibule and the luxurious atmosphere of a day spa, Assoc Prof Agarwal has built a dedicated laser surgery suite. The suite is equipped with the latest ZEISS Visumax 800 Pro with robotic arms to perform flaps, and SMILE in literally 10–12 seconds, avoiding the fear for patients being under the laser and in darkness for too much time, as well as the risk of suction loss. The laser surgery suite also has the latest Schwind laser with the fastest available speed and a 7-D tracker/ cyclotorsion ability.

Assoc Prof Agarwal said the “huge investment to create a caring environment with a personal touch was undertaken to be able to provide similar care to our local patients as is provided by any modern facility in Sydney, which means patients can now avoid unnecessary travel and the associated stress, let alone the extra cost to the family and patients”.

PURPOSE DESIGNED DIAGNOSTIC AND CONSULTATION ROOMS

Above the hospital and laser suite at level two, Assoc Prof Agarwal has consultation rooms where all pre-clinical and post operative consultations can be hosted. The facility has been purpose designed to optimise patient flow with dedicated rooms for diagnostic imaging, vision testing, and more. An experienced team of orthoptists, nurses, clinical staff, and administration staff work under the practice manager who has been with Assoc Prof Agarwal for over 12 years.

Opening the private hospital, Mr Scully congratulated Assoc Prof and Mr Agarwal, and commented on their perseverance and commitment in simultaneously navigating the planning system and health system, “the two toughest regulators in New South Wales”.

He said “the health system in NSW relies upon not only brilliant staff but also on a mix of facilities. We have some great public facilities in Wollongong, and they do a fabulous job, but we need private facilities to supplement that to make sure that every patient has access to healthcare as they can, when they can, in a way that helps.”

Mr Scully said the “thousands of people” who are treated at Victoria Street Private Hospital over the coming years will thank the Agarwals for changing their lives, “even in a small way” and will “appreciate the level of effort and detail” that has gone in to building the facility.

AN AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT

The hospital was designed by architect Anthony Vavaiyas following a draft idea from Assoc Prof Agarwal (based on patient flow learnt over the years). Its execution was led by Dr Tony Scaramuzza, a medical doctor and the former Chief Executive Officer at Sydney Surgical Centre. Dr Scaramuzza, who has set up several day hospitals and is the Chair of the Australian Private Hospitals Association, echoed Minister Scully’s sentiment. Congratulating Assoc Prof and Mr Agarwal he said establishing a private hospital is “a huge task” that is “extremely complicated, challenging and nuanced… the regulations are huge for design, operating, licensing, and accreditation… to reach this point is an amazing achievement”.

Two ophthalmologists who were influential in the early stages of Assoc Prof Agarwal’s career – Dr Hughes and Assoc Prof Hennessy – also spoke during the proceedings.

Dr Hughes, who built his own private eye hospital many years ago, described the Victoria Street Private Hospital as “magnificent” and joked that “as an old curmudgeon I would enjoy working in a place like this”.

Assoc Prof Hennessy, who first met Assoc Prof Agarwal in 2003 said, “to see this 20 years later reflects her determination, vision, perseverance, and commitment… and it all works because someone knows what they’re doing and gathers the people around them who know their stuff – I can’t imagine anyone better able to make this happen than Smita”.

This sentiment was expressed throughout the night by Assoc Prof Agarwal’s industry partners as well as her staff, many of whom have worked for her for 10 to 20 years.

Concluding the formalities, Assoc Prof Agarwal paid tribute to her husband. She told the story of Mr Agarwal as a young corporate lawyer talking to her father. “He promised my dad: I’m going to build a practice for your daughter. This was not my dream, but he has made it my dream and he has come through,” she said.

“We dedicate this facility for the benefit of the people of Illawarra and Shoalhaven, which has been my home for almost 20 years.”

The laser surgery suite

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