The Labor Party has promised to build a $200 million dedicated women and children’s hospital in Sunshine if elected this month.
Visiting Sunshine Hospital this morning, state opposition leader Dan Andrews said the new five-storey hospital would be on the same site as the existing Sunshine Hospital and include 237 beds, 39 special care nursery cots, four theatres and additional clinics.
The hospital would also have a children’s ward modelled on the Royal Children’s Hospital and would allow for an extra 2000 births a year and free up beds and services at Sunshine and surrounding hospitals.
Mr Andrews said if elected, Labor would start funding the project in its first budget, with the women and children’s hospital set to open by the end of 2018.
Sunshine Hospital caters for the third highest number of births of any Victorian hospital, after the two dedicated women’s hospitals.
About 5500 babies will be delivered at Sunshine Hospital this year alone.
Mr Andrews said the hospital had the potential to become a centre of excellence for paediatrics, with a special care nursery built to accommodate the option of conversion into a neonatal intensive care unit in the future.
“We’ve seen really significant growth in our western suburbs, whether it be in terms of birthing numbers, population growth – there’s a really significant need to continue to invest in the health services that matter most, and that’s the services closest to home,” he said.
“This is about the best of care, and the best new facilities designed for kids, but also for parents.”
Mr Andrews said Labor’s plan would free up theatre space and beds at Sunshine Hospital so it could perform up to 7000 more operations each year and support other vital services such as cancer, sub-acute care and rehabilitation.
