Building works on the $14 million expansion of Werribee Mercy Hospital’s maternity services have begun.
Visiting the site today, Health Minister Daniel Andrews turned a sod to start construction on the project, which will help meet the growing demand on Werribee’s busy maternity services.
“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to give Victorians a better health system, by building new hospitals and hiring more doctors and nurses,” Mr Andrews said.
“The project will create more than 80 jobs in design and construction.”
“We are funding this major expansion of Werribee Mercy Hospital so that more families in the western suburbs can access the very best maternity services, close to where they live.”
Mr Andrews said the Brumby Government had committed $14 million to the Stage 1 expansion of the Werribee Mercy Hospital.
“The expansion includes eight additional obstetric beds and four extra special care nursery cots,” he said.
“It’s a significant increase that will greatly improve access to specialist maternity services for the rapidly growing community in the outer western suburbs, and enable more women to give birth locally.”
Mr Andrews said the special care nursery expansion would reduce the need to transfer newborn babies requiring extra care to other major hospitals.
“It will also allow babies with extra needs born at other hospitals to move closer to home sooner to be with their mothers,” he said.
Member for Tarneit Tim Pallas said the development would be welcomed by local families.
“The number of births per year at Werribee Mercy Hospital is expected to increase from 1740 in 2008-09 to 2692 in 2016 after the maternity ward and special care nursery have been expanded,” Mr Pallas said.
“This is an important project for local families and a great example of how the Brumby Labor Government is committed to delivering additional maternity services to residents in Melbourne’s outer west.”
Mr Andrews said the project will be delivered in two phases, with the post-natal unit expected to be completed later this year, followed by the special care nursery in mid 2011.
The project will create more than 80 jobs in design and construction.