9 April 2024

Wimmera heart patients can now measure the performance and capacity of their heart, lungs and blood vessels without having to travel to Ballarat for specialist services.

Wimmera Health Care Group Foundation has donated a $33,600 Exercise Stress Test Device to the Alan Wolff Medical Centre so Wimmera patients can be tested in Horsham. Grampians Health cardiologist Dr Rajiv Ananthakrishna said the donation would make a big difference for his patients.

“I started providing cardiology services in Horsham just over a year ago and Grampians Health plans to continue expanding those services in Horsham,” Dr Rajiv said.

“This device will support that expansion and save people a lot of time and travel.

“We are very grateful to the Foundation for their support.”

Dr Rajiv said Grampians Health had been contacting the Wimmera’s GPs to inform them of the new service.

“Any GP can refer their patients for a stress test with us and the service will be available every fortnight.”

Foundation member Penelope Manserra said her charity was delighted to be able to provide Wimmera patients access locally to a stress test.

“We are delighted this will stop patients having to travel down the highway and hopefully it will encourage people to take advantage of these services locally.”

An exercise stress test is generally carried out on patients with known or suspected blockages in heart arteries. Other uses of the stress test include evaluating a patient’s capacity to undertake certain physical activities, assessment of prognosis in those with known heart disease and planning of appropriate rehabilitation program.

Grampians Health cardiologist Dr Rajiv Ananthakrishna
shows his new stress test device to WHCG Foundation's
Penelope Manserra and Andrea Cameron.