katherine district hospital - general enquiries: 08 8973 9211
Overview
The Katherine District Hospital is an accredited 60 bed non-specialist medical, diagnostic and treatment facility which caters for the needs of the population of Katherine Town and District.
The Hospital is situated approximately
3 kms from the centre of town. Click here to view map.
Hospital Visiting Hours
Visitors are requested to check with nursing staff before seeing patients.
Visiting hours for all Wards are restricted to between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. daily.
Nursing staff is to be consulted if visits are to occur outside normal visiting hours.
Intoxicated patients or visitors may be refused admission to wards.
Maternity Unit - Ward 1
Katherine maternity ward has 14 beds and three birthing rooms.
We are an accredited baby friendly hospital (BFH)
promoting breastfeeding and rooming-in.
Pregnancy care choices are private, shared care or
midwifery care. (For low risk pregnancy and normal birth.)
Antenatal Clinic
Held every Wednesday at the Community Health Centre
located in the Government Centre Building in First Street.
For appointment, please phone 8973 9389.
Childbirth Preparation Classes
Childbirth education classes are held regularly on the ward.
Phone 8973 9257 to book-in or attend early-bird classes (8-12 weeks) followed by 4 classes from 30 weeks.
General Medical and Surgical Ward
Jack Roney Ward is a 28 bed facility which caters for both male and female adult clients, admitted with a variety of acute and chronic conditions.
Our ward services clients from the town area, remote communities and surrounding cattle stations.
The ward has 4 single rooms available for clients requiring isolation and a 2 bed high dependency room.
Jack Roney Ward is fortunate to have one room, which is furnished similar to the home environment, available for palliative care, to ensure comfort for the client requiring such care and their families.
The Staff liaise with a number of Allied Health Personnel regularly.
Jack Roney Ward was named after a remarkable gentleman by the name of Jack Roney who worked for many years at the Katherine Hospital.
Children's Ward (ABW)
Children's Ward is an 18 bed facility which offers inpatient care for infants, children and adolescents. Predominately our clients are from rural and remote communities with a small percentage from the Katherine area.
A stay in hospital for children can at times be lengthy and traumatic, therefore we encourage one parent to remain with the child.. In order to make the stay in hospital a little more pleasant the children are offered a range of games, books, Nintendo machines, TV and videos, outdoor play equipment and a generous fenced play area for the children.
If you have any enquiries please phone (08) 8973 9381.
Emergency Department
The Emergency Department provides a 24 hour emergency service to the Katherine Community
Non urgent presentations are encouraged to utilise General Practitioner services.
Patients who require non-urgent treatment will be seen only after emergencies and thus may experience variable waiting times.
Renal Unit
Katherine Renal Dialysis Unit, located at the Katherine Hospital, was set up in May 2000 to accommodate the needs of the local Jawoyn Aboriginal people who previously had to relocate to Darwin for ongoing haemodialysis. This caused family disruption and personal distress. At present approximately half of the patients are from the local area. Most of the others are from Borroloola.
The unit has 4 treatment stations with one spare machine in case of breakdown. It operates Monday to Saturday from 0700-2130 hours. Staff includes a renal trained Aboriginal Health Worker, renal trained Registered Nurses, an Enrolled Nurse and Orderly.
Clinical nursing support is given by Nightcliff Renal Unit and Ward 7A at Royal Darwin Hospital.
For further inquiries call telephone 8973 9360 or fax 8973 9031.
Radiology Department
Hours 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Emergencies x-rayed any hour as required, however, certain specialised x-rays and ultrasounds need to be done in Darwin.
Ultrasound's by appointment only, please phone: 8973 9239.
Pathology Laboratory
'Providing timely, quality diagnostic results economically!'
Multi-disciplinary Pathology Laboratory
Departments include Microbiology, Biochemistry, Haematology, Immunology and Transfusion.
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday 08:00 - 16:21
Weekends and public holiday's: 08:00 - 12:00
On-call duties outside normal working hours.
Centre for Disease Control (CDC)
The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) provides a range of services to prevent, monitor and control communicable and non-communicable diseases, across the whole Katherine district. These include surveillance of selected communicable diseases, including special surveillance programs for a number of diseases, such as enteric diseases, measles, malaria, invasive pneumococcal disease etc., outbreak investigation and initiation of appropriate control measures, education, screening and clinical services for tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy; education, confidential screening and clinical services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), as well as needle and syringe exchanges through Clinic 34; education and clinical services for diabetes, and Women and Men's Health and education and health promotion activities to other health professionals and the general public.
CDC is located on the first floor at O'Keefe House, Katherine Hospital and is open between 0800 and 16.30, Monday to Friday.
For an appointment, please phone (08) 739 049
Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service
The Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service (NTAMS / Air Med), is a division of the Department of Health and Community Services, is a 24 hour emergency medical retrieval service operating in the Top End of the Territory.
The service carries out medical evacuations from remote communities, cattle stations, mining leases, oil rigs, ships at sea as well as intra and interstate hospital transfers and international retrievals from South East Asia.
NTAMS has three bases covering the Top End, Darwin, Gove and Katherine. The aircraft used by the service are Beechcraft 20000 Super Kingairs which have the capacity to carry 2 stretcher patients and 3 walking passengers plus medical equipment in a pressurised environment.
The doctor on call for the Katherine District can be contacted via the Katherine Hospital switchboard on 8973 9211 requesting to speak to the Air Med doctor on-call.
The Flight Nurses are based in O'Keefe House, Katherine Hospital and can be contacted on 8973 9246.
Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (PATS)
This scheme is designed to give some financial assistance for patients requiring specialist care either in Darwin or interstate to help offset travel expenses.
In order to claim for assistance a PATS request must be signed by your doctor and lodged with the PATS office 14 days prior to travel. Urgency of travel is taken into consideration but no retrospective claims will be processed.
For further information phone 8973 9206 or 8973 9213.
Education and Training
Katherine Hospital Clinical Nurse Educator - Ph: (08) 89739043
- Coordinates Graduate Nurse Program
- Co-ordinates re-entry program
- Provides clinical support and education to nurses
- Facilitates education programs in partnership with Workforce Support
Workforce Support - Katherine Region
Administration Support Officer - Ph (08) 89739392
- Coordinates & facilitates Orientation Program and mandatory training
- Coordinates health related courses
- Provides assessment and training for Aboriginal Health Workers
- Provides information on education & training courses and studies assistance
Katherine Hospital Library 'croc' - (Clinical Resources on Call)
On-Campus Accommodation and Social Activities
There are 48 air conditioned units (4 blocks of 12) in total located on site at Katherine Hospital, of these there are 17 bedsitter units, 16 one-bedroom units and 15 one-bedroom units complete with their own private verandah.
Contact us
Hospital Manager
DHCS Katherine
PMB 73
Katherine
Northern Territory 0852
Phone: (08) 8973 9211
Fax: (08) 8973 9000
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