The Minister met with staff and patients at Cooma Hospital, before announcing that $30,000 would be spent on a six-seater vehicle to transport local renal patients to Canberra for treatment.

The other large-scale funding announcement made by Ms Meagher was $60,000 for the installation of an electric operating table at the Cooma Hospital. Earlier that day she opened a new Ambulance Station in Bombala.

While Mr Whan said a full-scale renal dialysis service in Cooma is still some way off Ms Meagher said the transport vehicle would in the interim ease the pressure on those currently using their own vehicles to access much needed life prolonging treatment in Canberra.

Shadow Member for Monaro Melinda Pavey said the bus service was a bandaid solution and a lame attempt at scoring political points, as the current proposal is worlds away from what the people truly need.

"The fact that the local Member Steve Whan is in the process of organising dialysis for his home town of Queanbeyan, yet has failed to do the same for the people of Cooma, is simply unfair and they deserve better," Ms Pavey said.

"This is extremely disappointing news for the kidney patients of Cooma and the surrounding regions who have been fighting for this service for years."

Ralf Struthmann is one patient set to benefit from the new transport vehicle and was excited to hear the news yesterday.

"This is the first I've heard of it today. I've been in hospital for a few days and the lady from GSAHS phoned me and told me that my dialysis days are changing and we were getting the bus,"

Mr Stuthmann said the new bus would save the money he spends on petrol and would be safer and more comfortable than driving himself.

For now the bus is a step in the right direction for Mr Struthmann who would still like to see a service here in Cooma to minimise the travelling time to Canberra in the future.