Echuca Regional Health’s new Community Rehabilitation Centre will enable patients to get out of hospital quicker and start their path to recovery.
Officially opening the new $2.8 million centre, Health Minister Daniel Andrews said it would also ensure residents were able to recover from injury and illness with specialised treatment available in their town, rather than having to travel elsewhere.
“The Brumby Government is taking action to deliver quality health services for all Victorians,” Mr Andrews said.
Echuca Regional Health has had its funding increased by 93.3 per cent since the current State Government came into office, with the vital health service to receive $24.51 million this year.
Echuca Regional Health’s bottom-line budget funding is up by $989,000, or 4.2 per cent, on what it was given last year, and a massive $11.83 million more than what it was given in 1999/2000.
The new CRC was an excellent example of how Echuca Regional Health was providing services to meet the changing needs of the community, Mr Andrews said.
“The centre will greatly assist patients when leaving hospital to make a safe and confident return home in the knowledge that supports are in place to assist their recovery and rehabilitation.
“Once home, the best facilities and resources will be available to assist them in their recovery and help them to achieve and maintain their best health.
“It is important that patients can receive the specialised treatment they need locally, rather than having to travel to other centres.”
“It is important that patients can receive the specialised treatment they need locally."
Mr Andrews also announced that the master plan for Echuca Regional Health’s future capital development would be updated.
He said recent projects at Echuca Regional Health, such as the Community Rehabilitation Centre and the $7.7 million redevelopment in 2006 which provided new theatres, meant that a new master plan was necessary to ensure future works were consistent with a long-term strategic goal.
“A master plan will enable the hospital and the community to know what is needed to ensure that Echuca Regional Health remains a key regional healthcare agency,” Mr Andrews said.
Mr Andrews said the Brumby Government had demonstrated its commitment to rural health services with a specific country health boost of more than $240 million in this year’s State Budget.
“We have continued to rebuild the health system in regional Victoria, and the Budget showed that quality health services for Victorian families are a priority,” he said.