PREMIER Denis Napthine will today inject a huge dose of confidence in Warrnambool’s future by promising $100 million to complete the base hospital redevelopment.
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A new emergency department and operating theatres are key features of the long-awaited second-stage modernisation of the hospital complex, which dates back 158 years.
Dr Napthine, the Liberal member for South West Coast, says if his Coalition government is re-elected planning would start “immediately” on finalising details of the project.
First construction phase would begin in the 2017-18 financial year with the remainder to come after the 2018 elections.
The promise is the clearest indication yet of a timeline for completing a huge redevelopment of the campus which started in 2009 when the now Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews was health minister in the Brumby government.
That first stage was completed in 2012 at a cost of $115m.
Dr Napthine hinted in September he would push for a commitment on the second stage when he was in Warrnambool to announce the successful tenderer for a soon-to-be-built $30 million radiotherapy centre to which his government contributed $15 million.
“This is an exciting day for Warrnambool hospital and everyone in the south-west who will benefit from this significant upgrade,” he said yesterday.
“In the next term of government a re-elected Coalition government will provide up to $30m to undertake the first stage of works. This will deliver a number of critical improvements including a new three-storey building to house a new emergency department and expanded operating theatre suite.
“We are committed to delivering this upgrade in full so that families can continue to receive world-class health care close to home.”
The second phase of works will entail upgrades to medical imaging facilities, outpatient, obstetric and pathology areas as well as inpatient and day surgery facility revamps.
Dr Napthine said construction was likely to generate “a couple of hundred” jobs and the expanded emergency department and operating theatres would open up opportunities for more medical staff.
“The operating theatres and emergency department are getting significant increases in throughput and are struggling in size,” he said.
“This project will give certainty for doctors and staff so we can build for a rapidly expanding population and patient load.”
Emergency department throughput has risen by 92 per cent since 1998 to 25,000 patients a year while the operating theatre is at capacity of 8000 procedures a year, with more than 1000 people on the elective waiting list.
Elective surgery performance and emergency department treatment times are the only two sectors where the hospital fails to meet Department of Health performance targets.
Dr Napthine said his government had also committed $83m for Ballarat hospital and $70m for Goulburn Valley hospital.