A $200 million hospital dedicated to women and children will be built on the Sunshine Hospital site if Labor wins this month’s state election.
State opposition leader Dan Andrews toured Sunshine Hospital’s existing birthing, special-care and pregnancy-care wards last Wednesday.
The wards would all come under one roof in a five-storey women and children’s centre that would link up with the existing hospital.
Mr Andrews said the women and children’s hospital would include 237 beds, 39 special care nursery cots, four theatres, additional clinics and a children’s hospital modelled on the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Mr Andrews said the special care nursery would include space for a neonatal intensive care unit in the future, while the new hospital would cater for an extra 2000 births a year, freeing up beds and services at Sunshine and surrounding hospitals.
With less than two weeks to go until Victorians go to the polls, federal Labor leader Bill Shorten, Keilor MP Natalie Hutchins, Niddrie MP Ben Carroll and St Albans candidate Natalie Suleyman were in town for last week’s announcement.
Mr Andrews said Labor would start funding the project in its first budget, if elected, with the women and children’s hospital slated to open by the end of 2018.
Sunshine Hospital has the third- highest number of births of any Victorian hospital, after the two dedicated women’s hospitals. About 5000 babies will be delivered at Sunshine Hospital this year alone.
“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.”
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.
Western Health chief executive Alex Cockram welcomed the funding commitment.
“The number of births at Sunshine Hospital has doubled in the past 10 years to more than 5000, and 7200 births are expected in 2025,” Associate Professor Cockram said.
“The funding commitment announced by the Opposition is a significant commitment to women and their families in the west. It will enable the health service to provide increased capacity and higher-quality care in more appropriate settings.”
