WERRIBEE Mercy Hospital’s state budget snub hasn’t dampened the drive for an intensive care unit in Wyndham.
Hospital management, Wyndham Council and the state opposition will continue lobbying the government for funding, after recent figures showed the emergency department was struggling to cope with the demand of a booming population.
As reported in the Weekly, Ambulance Victoria data revealed ambulances were spending almost 100 hours a month ‘ramping’, which is time from when they arrive at hospital to when they can admit the patient.
Ambulances are also being turned away from the hospital 13per cent of the time, soaring above the state government benchmark of 3per cent, according to the hospital’s performance measures report.
Mercy Health executive hospitals director John Fogarty said that without an intensive care unit, critical cases often couldn’t be treated on site.
“There is no intensive care unit at Werribee Mercy Hospital, and that means patients who present to the emergency department with more complex needs may be transferred to other larger hospitals that are better equipped to provide the specialist care they need,” he said. Mr Fogarty said timely access to local emergency care was critical in Wyndham.
Ahead of this month’s state budget, Wyndham mayor Kim McAliney urged the government to fund an intensive care unit and more emergency beds at the Mercy. The budget allocated $15.1million to Sunshine Hospital for a new intensive care unit.
Cr McAliney said Wyndham was crying out for a hospital that could meet the needs of its massive population explosion. “I often compare us with Geelong, where they have 25,000 residents and 29 critical care and intensive care beds and we don’t have one,” she said.
“I’m still getting over the state budget but, if anything, it’s made this council more determined than ever.”
Health Minister David Davis’s spokeswoman Kathryn McFarlane said the federal government and the previous state Labor government had invested $28million for 30 new sub-acute beds and a community rehabilitation centre at the Werribee Mercy to cater for growth. She said the new ICU and expansion of Sunshine Hospital would also benefit the growing population.
Tarneit MP Tim Pallas said Wyndham’s growth warranted an intensive care unit on site.
