Investment in health services
Wimmera-mallee and Western District health services are beneficiaries of latest State Government Rural and Regional Health Infrastructure funding.
West Wimmera Health Service, Rural Northwest Health, Stawell Regional Health, East Grampians Health Service, Grampians Community Health and Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital are recipients of latest funding-round money.
Wimmera Health Care Group, a recipient of previous-round funding is the only Wimmera group missing from the latest list.
Almost 80 rural and regional hospitals and community health services are sharing in the $120-million funding round. In latest funding – West Wimmera Health Service will receive $1.39-million for second-stage redevelopment of Nhill Hospital. Stage two involves transforming a kitchen into a staff dining room and lounge, chef office, clean-and-dirty linen rooms and a new building for general store, sterile store and store office. The service also has a grant of almost $550,000 to replace sterilising and theatre equipment at Nhill Hospital.
Ararat municipality is the recipient of almost $1.3-million, including $1,215,000 for East Grampians Health Service to redevelop a medical-imaging department and to relocate palliative care.
Elmhurst Bush Nursing Centre will receive about $45,000 to provide undercover areas at the rear of an activities room and $15,000 to replace a vehicle.
A Lake Bolac Bush Nursing Centre investment of $20,000 will also go towards replacing a vehicle.
Grampians Community Health will get $30,000 to improve COVID-SAFE infection control at Stawell Health and Community Centre and a further grant of about $26,000 for work to restore balconies on the centre building.
Stawell Regional Health will replace theatre equipment with an investment of almost $1-million. It has also received a grant of more than $450,000 to consolidate and upgrade fire-detection systems at four locations.
Rural Northwest Health will receive $110,000 to upgrade a kitchen to enhance infection control, improve team-member health and safety and mitigate risk factors from ageing equipment.
East Wimmera Health Service will receive about $480,000 to replace ageing medical-imaging equipment at St Arnaud and to develop a new medical-imaging service at Charlton.
Edenhope and District Memorial Hospital will receive more than $440,000 to replacing ageing infrastructure and develop a disaster-recovery site.
Harrow Bush Nursing Centre will install a solar battery system, new LED lighting and rainwater tanks with $84,000 and will also use more than $60,000 to buy a patient-transport vehicle.