BASE HOSPITAL’S EXPANSION UNDERWAY

THE MP responsible for the Commonwealth’s multi-million dollar upgrade of Port Macquarie Base Hospital has welcomed the start of construction of the fourth and fifth pods.
Lyne MP Rob Oakeshott attended the $110 million project’s official sod-turning ceremony on Friday, 20 months after securing the commitment from the federal government following the 2010 election.
Expanded theatres, an expanded intensive care and critical care unit, cardiac catheterisation services, expanded medical and surgical beds and an improved pediatrics ward are part of the upgrade which will eventually result in an additional 300 full-time staff at the hospital.
At Friday’s ceremony, Mr Oakeshott paid tribute to the work of the hospital’s management team, staff and, what he called, the 20-year warriors in ensuring the upgrade became a reality. He also paid tribute to former state Member for Port Macquarie Peter Besseling, who ensured the planning documents were funded and completed so the hospital could make the most of the Commonwealth funding opportunity that arose in 2010.
“It’s been one heck of a journey for this hospital, from the old site to now, and the campaign for Port Macquarie to get the services our community needed,” Mr Oakeshott said.
“If we hadn’t had the difficult community fights of the past decade, the 20-year contract would be coming to an end in 2014,” said Mr Oakeshott referring to the $80 million state government buyback in 2005.
“If we hadn’t won that campaign, in just two years from now we’d be handing over this hospital to a private company, a money-making business, for the sum of one dollar.
“We all believe in preventative medicine – this has been an exercise in preventative policy which has delivered an important outcome for our community and the Hastings/Macleay hospital network.
“Thank you to those warriors, many of whom are here today, who have been fighting the good fight for a long time,” Mr Oakeshott said.
The hospital upgrade is expected to be completed in 2015.
ENDS
Media contact: Sharon Fuller – 0429 787320