Ramsay Newsroom

In a first for the region, cochlear implant surgery and spinal surgery can now be performed at Nowra Private Hospital - giving locals the choice to receive their treatment closer to home. 

Nowra Private Hospital Chief Executive Officer Prue Buist said the $9.046 million project not only increased the overall capacity of the hospital - but also meant locals could receive cancer treatment in a private hospital setting. 

“This renovation is significant for the community because it allows locals to access top quality healthcare in a timely manner,” Ms Buist said. 

“This upgrade means we can now offer cancer treatment, spinal surgery and cochlear implant surgery for the first time and that means we can also attract new specialists into the region, which is great news for locals. 

“When you need treatment for cancer or a spinal injury - time is just so important not only to the patient, but their family members too, so being able to provide these expanded services right here in Nowra has been a major goal for our hospital,” she said. 

The $9 million project has created an additional operating theatre, patient ward and oncology unit - plus the refurbishment of three existing operating theatres. Patient rooms were converted from shared rooms to private rooms and the hospital was given a general facelift inside and out. 

Specialist ear, nose and throat surgeon, Dr Ekrem Serefli, said he was looking forward to bringing cochlear implant surgeries to Nowra. 

"Our hearing connects us with the important people in our lives and allows us to engage with the world. Hearing ability degrades in most people naturally as they age - over half of people between 60 and 70 have some degree of hearing loss and it can be very isolating for older people,” Dr Serefli said. 

Ulladulla resident Ross Johnson will be the first person to receive a cochlear implant at Nowra Private Hospital later this month. 

“I lost my hearing in the Vietnam War so I’ve been waiting for this surgery for a long time,” Mr Johnson said. 

“I’m really excited and the whole team at Nowra Private is too which is really nice,” he said. 

The first spinal surgery will also be performed at Nowra Private Hospital at the end of March.