Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley, Southern Health acting chief executive Siva Sivarajah, Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato, Monash Children’s medical director
CONSTRUCTION work on the $4.2 million expansion of Casey Hospital’s special care nursery is on track for completion this year.
Health Minister Daniel Andrews visited the hospital on Tuesday with local MPs Judith Graley, Tammy Lobato, and Luke Donnellan to inspect progress on the building works.
The expansion, which will triple the number of cots available to treat sick children, features consulting suites with areas for health promotion, education, and advocacy for families of seriously ill babies.
Southern Health acting chief executive Siva Sivarajah said the roof sheets and plant wall cladding were almost complete.
“Plasterers are installing stud walls and sheeting on the first floor and external stud walls have been erected,” Mr Sivarajah said.
The project has also created 31 jobs during the design and construction phase.
Mr Andrews said the State Government was taking action to deliver state-of-the-art maternity services to all Victorian parents, close to where they live.
“We delivered $4.2 million in the 2008/09 State Budget to expand the special care nursery at Casey Hospital and meet the growing demand on maternity services, and once completed, this nursery will accommodate up to 1000 extra births each year,” Mr Andrews said.
Southern Health is preparing to buy furniture, medical equipment and other clinical fittings and fixtures. Monash Children’s medical director Professor Nick Freezer said it was important to deliver services where they were needed the most.
“It will reduce the need to transfer newborn babies requiring extra care to other sites, allowing mothers and babies to stay together,” he said.
“The expansion of the special care nursery will add significantly to the care we can offer at Casey.” Casey Hospital recorded more than 1400 births last year – a 13.3 per cent increase since 2007/08.
Completion is set for late October.
