Neerim Health seeks council support
Neerim Health has sought Baw Baw Shire support for design works associated with a $3.5 to $4 million theatre development at Neerim District Soldiers Memorial Hospital.
In a budget submission to council last week, chief executive officer Graham Bailey asked council to provide 50 per cent of the funding needed to prepare design documents that would enable development of two new theatres at the hospital to be “shovel ready” for government funding.
Mr Bailey said the hospital was community owned and not-for-profit. He said the service received no direct funding from the state government.
Mr Bailey said they needed council’s financial support to complete design documents expected to cost $60,000.
“Neerim Health will then have a suitably prepared funding application ready for the external funding program,” he said.
The submission to council said the health service needed to expand its existing surgical capability, which is currently running at full capacity in one theatre.
Mr Bailey said the hospital currently had contracts with Latrobe Regional Hospital to perform 830 cataract procedures and a further 150 cataract procedures on contract for West Gippsland Hospital.
He said when the new management team arrived at the hospital, theatre capacity was running at 60 per cent. he said it was now running at 100 per cent capacity, Mondays to Fridays and weekend surgeries.
He said the new theatres would enable the hospital to bring in some new elective surgery procedures, additional private surgeons and consulting room services.
“We aim to reduce theatre backlogs for both Warragul and Latrobe but also provide some additional capacity for new consultants.
“Sixty thousand dollars will give us some schematic drawings so we can seek grants. In essence, what we are seeking is to have a shovel ready project,” he said.