New hospital picture of health

GEELONG’S newest hospital, the $277 million Epworth private hospital, is taking shape next door to Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Campus.

Epworth Geelong is due to open in mid-2016, with the public day surgery beds, chemotherapy and dialysis chairs among the first services available.

Such is the size of the Epworth Geelong project that it caused a 557 per cent increase in non-domestic building activity figures in Greater Geelong when construction began in earnest in November.

Epworth Health CEO Damian Armour said construction work was on target to finish in mid-2016.

On completion Epworth Geelong will include: TWELVE Intensive Care Unit beds; EMERGENCY Department with 20 treatment spaces; SEVEN operating theatres; SIX birthing suites; TWO catheter laboratories; TWO procedure rooms; CLINICAL education simulation precinct; PRIVATE consulting

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suites and sessional rooms; and SLADE Pharmacy, Epworth Medical Imaging and Epworth Pathology.

The 240-bed hospital is being built over seven levels and Mr Armour said there had been an emphasis on signing contracts with local firms.

“We are close to $30 million in direct local contracts awarded up to this point with some more to come,’’ he said.

consulting

Mr Armour said Epworth Geelong would be in the top 10 in size of private hospitals in the state, and would be a major contributor to employment during the construction phase.

“There are about 240 people on site, and at least half of those people would be locals, and there will be close to 500 people on site later on in the year so it’s a significant contribution to local employment,’’ he said.

Works on various levels of the hospital construction project can be completed at the same time.

Mr Armour said a cornerstone of the project was the partnership with Deakin University, and that partnership was getting stronger.