SUNSHINE Hospital plans to open its own intensive care unit within a year.
Western Health chairman Ralph Willis last week revealed that construction of the $19.3 million project will begin in November, giving the hospital up to 13 extra beds.
“An ICU is of critical importance for Sunshine Hospital, which is the largest hospital in the state without an ICU,” he said.
The new development will include a stand-alone dialysis unit, five additional labour delivery rooms, a refurbished and expanded pregnancy day-stay unit and an improved ultrasound department.
The announcement came as Health Minister David Davis opened more than $90 million of developments at the hospital last Wednesday.
Stage three of the hospital redevelopment, including a new four-storey building to cater for an extra 128 multi-day inpatient beds, was unveiled.
It also features a specialist outpatient clinic with 36 consulting rooms and an extra 30 day chairs in an ambulatory care clinic and a new special-care nursery.
Mr Davis says the extra beds will be opened progressively to meet demand, while the new nursery will have six extra cots in addition to the current 20.
“The community of Sunshine already has a hospital they can be proud of,’’ he said.
‘‘When these works are completed, they will have an even better facility.”
The hospital also received more than $134,000 to improve safety at its adult and aged acute inpatient units, with projects including the creation of women-only spaces and swipe card access to doors.
“These improvements will help provide more privacy and a safer environment for women in the hospital’s inpatient services,” Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge said.
