By JESSE GRAHAM
THE redevelopment of Healesville Hospital has been bolstered by an extra $1 million in funding from the Victorian Government, following an announcement last week.
On Wednesday Health Minister Jill Hennessy announced that the government was contributing an extra $1 million to the currently-$7.8 million redevelopment of the Healesville and District Hospital.
According to Ms Hennessy, the funding came about after final tenders for the project revealed the money previously allocated was not enough to deliver the whole project.
Executive Director of Acute Health at Eastern Health, David Plunkett, said that more funding was sought so that the finished hospital would still offer all services originally promised.
A six-chair renal dialysis clinic, 13-bed acute general medical ward and a new operating theatre are some features of the redevelopment, which will impact almost every room of the hospital.
“I think that, with a capital project, just as when you’re doing a house refurbishment, so much of it depends on the market conditions of the time,” Mr Plunkett said.
“We were committed to make sure we could deliver the best services that we can – we didn’t want to compromise the service provision and we didn’t want to compromise what was going to be new.”
Eastern Health announced with the extra funding that patients who would normally be treated at Healesville Hospital will receive care at Yarra Ranges Health in Lilydale or Maroondah Hospital while the development takes place.
Yarra Valley Community Health and the Yarra Valley Community Medical Service at the hospital will continue to run, but Eastern Health Chief Executive, Alan Lilly, said some services might be offered from different locations in town.
Pathology, respiratory, cardiology, endocrinology and antenatal and postnatal maternity services will stay in Healesville for the redevelopment period.
Eildon MP, Cindy McLeish, said she was pleased the government was adding funds to the redevelopment.
“I’m really pleased there was this extra money, because you don’t want things to be derailed or to be second best because you don’t have the funds,” she said.
“I look forward to seeing a completed hospital.”
Save Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG), a community group which has advocated for the improvement of services at the hospital, praised the announcement on its Facebook page last week.
Posting that the community has “much to celebrate” with the redevelopment, the group said the range of new services was a “direct result” of the community-run campaign for the hospital.
Builders are expected to be appointed for the redevelopment by July, with the construction of the hospital to begin in August – construction is expected to take 14-18 months.
When asked about the potential for emergency or birthing services to be brought into the new hospital, Mr Plunkett said he “can’t predict what will happen in the future.”
“We’re continuing with the plans we’ve had and the services we’ve had in our media and our FAQs (frequently asked questions),” he said.
