A new perioperative unit named in honour of the late Jason Bond was opened during a service at East Grampians Health Service on Thursday.
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The Ararat Blue Ribbon Foundation has raised $150,000 towards the cost of the project.
Staff can now treat up to 25 patients a day thanks to improved workflows at the unit.
Jason was a police trainee when he was killed in a car accident while driving back to Ararat.
His brother Senior Constable Bradley Bond is with Victoria Police and cut the ribbon to signal the unit’s official opening.
Senior Constable Bond said he was proud to have something named after his brother.
“The Ararat community will be so proud and it is an honour to our family to have something that is going to live on forever in his name,” he said.
“He was pretty well known in the community and pretty popular with his friends, so just to have something like that for everyone is great.”
East Grampians Health Service board chairman Matthew Wood said the Blue Ribbon Foundation had played an important role in raising money.
“Out of tragedy comes some good so thank you everyone for coming here today,” he said.
“The foundation has enabled the redevelopment of the perioperative unit in Jason’s honour and they are a fantastic organisation.
“The unit saves lives, so everything Jason dreamed carries on, I know it is very difficult for everyone here today, but it is a very proud day too.
”Being a former police member myself, I am extremely grateful and very proud this health service is part of an organisation that honours them.”
Perioperative services manager Jane Smith said the new unit would help the hospital conduct more than 2000 elective surgeries a year and more than 1700 dialysis treatments.
“We now operate in two theatres, several days a week,” she said.
“This means up to 25 patients are admitted, taken care of and discharged per day.
“The improvements have created a workflow in the unit that allows for more efficiency.”