Big boost for Holman clinic treatment

The W.P. Holman Clinic, Launceston, has received a substantial boost to its treatment program through the generosity of a Tasmanian man.

A $250,000 donation will help buy new cutting-edge technology Brachytherapy equipment.

The Clinic has been at the forefront for many years, both nationally and internationally, in the delivery of a specialised radiation therapy technique called “Brachytherapy”. This involves the delivery of precise, high dose radiation therapy to tumour sites. The newly purchased state of the art Brachytherapy equipment is used to treat small tumours in various parts of the body that cannot be removed surgically or treated with conventional radiation therapy. With Brachytherapy, clinicians can focus the radiation dose to the outline of the tumour and minimise the dose to the surrounding healthy tissue.

This advance in treatment was largely helped by a donation from Mr Mark Barbeliuk who provided $250,000 to the Northern W.P. Holman Clinic Trust to assist with the purchase of equipment essential for the implementation of the Brachytherapy technique.

This is part of an ongoing donation program established by Mr Barbeliuk to assist the continuing work of the W.P. Holman Clinic in Launceston. It is the first instalment of a $1 million donation.

As well as contributing to equipment purchases, Mr Barbeliuk has also agreed to contribute to the development of a Cancer Patient Survivorship Program in Northern Tasmania. This is a new initiative and recognises that the W.P. Holman Clinic can deliver high quality, personalised cancer treatments. However, more resources are needed to support the needs of cancer patients and their carers in the long term once they have completed the acute phase of their treatment. This is particularly important for those patients living in rural and regional Tasmania.

Mr Barbeliuk, a journalist who splits his time between Longford and Sydney, said the care and compassion shown by Northern Tasmanian Cancer Service Director Dr Stan Gauden and the team from the W P Holman Clinic was what prompted his donation.

“Mum (Judith) was afforded amazing care by incredible people and I promised myself six years ago if I was ever in a position to assist the clinic financially I would.

“I made the clinic a beneficiary of my will but thought if there was some way, I could get that money where it’s needed now I would. So, I sat down with my accountant and financial planner and we came up with a strategy to make the money available now,” he said.

“If the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that we can’t just assume the government will be capable of delivering all our health needs.”

Mr Barbeliuk encouraged others to step up to ensure patients received the highest quality care issuing the challenge to match his donation.