PATIENT health remains at risk until Sunshine Hospital opens an intensive care unit, according to Keilor MP Natalie Hutchins.
Ms Hutchins has called on Health Minister David Davis to provide urgent funding for the ICU in next month’s state Budget.
Sunshine Hospital is on track to become Victoria’s fourth-biggest hospital yet it remains the only one in the state’s top 10 without an ICU.
More than 400 patients were transferred to other ICUs last year, tying up valuable resources and hitting Western Health’s budget.
Ms Hutchins told State Parliament population pressures were placing a huge strain on the hospital. “Western Health covers 775,000 residents, and Sunshine Hospital services most of these residents,” she said.
The population is set to boom by a further 260,000 residents in the next 15 years.
“The outer west has comparatively poor health outcomes with high rates of diabetes and extremely high rates of obesity,” Ms Hutchins said.
There were 62,837 patient visits to Sunshine Hospital’s emergency department in the 12 months to last June. Transfers from the hospital to other ICUs rose 16per cent in that time to 415.
Western Metropolitan Labor MP Martin Pakula said this was bound to increase as more patients presented at Sunshine’s emergency department.
“It’s my understanding that for some $15million, Sunshine Hospital can have an ICU and perhaps also a couple of additional birthing suites for the maternity unit,” he said.
A Western Health spokesman was unavailable for comment.
