In the oncology unit at the Kyabram District Health Service, staff treat the community’s most immune-vulnerable individuals with open arms, a smile and an inviting and bright space, hoping to alleviate the mental pressures that come with experiencing cancer.
On Thursday, March 21 at around 6pm part of that same oncology unit went up in flames.
The fire was caused by a faulty battery in a patient monitoring machine.
The fire was mainly kept within the corner that the machine had been sitting, but the real damage was done by the smoke, which had contaminated most of the unit, making it unsafe for medical use.
After a seven-month closure while equipment was replaced and soot was wiped clean from the walls and furniture, the oncology unit reopened its doors in October, welcoming back staff and patients to a newly renovated and revitalised space.
KDHS oncology’s ambulatory services manager, Kelly Scorey, recalled hearing about the news on the Facebook page ‘Kyabram Community Connections’.
“I was heartbroken,” Mrs Scorey said.
“I was one of the first nurses that started in the unit, so I’ve got a real connection (to the unit), like it’s my baby – but once I’d realised that it hadn’t burnt to the ground and it was going to be okay, I switched into typical nurse mode and thought: ‘How am I going to fix this?’”
Her primary concern was for the patients, many of whom she discovered had learned about the incident through Facebook.
When Mrs Scorey got into work on Friday, the emergency management process kicked into gear, and she began calling patients who had appointments in the next week.
“I had to call over 30 patients who were having treatment and let them know that their treatment would still go ahead but we were finding a new location for them,” she said.
“We only had two patients who had to instead go to Shepparton because we didn’t have the correct IV lines to give them the chemo that they were having.”
The entire oncology unit relocated to a temporary facility in the vacant urgent care centre, which had previously served as a COVID-19 testing and vaccination site.
“We were moving into a space that was no longer supposed to be used, so (maintenance staff) had to paint everything, patch the holes and find us some beds,” Mrs Scorey said.
“I think that it was just a sign of Kyabram’s community has a whole — everyone just rallied around each other.
“The fact that our service didn’t slow down at all and everyone got their treatment is a testament to that.”
KDHS chief executive Anne McEvoy was with the executive team at a conference in Swan Hill the night of the fire.
However alarmed she was at the time, she said she was confident with the team and the emergency management process in place that everyone could handle the situation until she got back.
“We could sort of sit back and relax knowing that we had an after-hours manager to rely on who was in charge and did a fantastic job,” Mrs McEvoy said.
“It’s worth celebrating, and it’s worth going back and reflecting on the actual incident and congratulating people, including the CFA, who were very quick to react, and thanking the patients for their patience along the way.”
On Monday, October 14, KDHS celebrated the unit’s reopening by inviting patients and staff for a morning tea.
Mrs Scorey said getting the unit back up and running would not have been as easy if she did not have the support from staff and patience of the patients.
“It’s so nice to be back in and have everyone feel happy to be in here,” she said.
“The patients were so flexible and supportive of us, given the care in a space that was not quite adequate — they didn’t complain and they didn’t get upset, so that first week (that the unit was open) was pretty emotional.
“They supported us as much we supported them.”