Gin Gin Hospital construction to start next week

Construction of the new $8.6 million Gin Gin Hospital campus is scheduled to begin next week, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

“The tender to construct the new hospital plus do preparatory earthworks for new staff accommodation buildings has been awarded to Northbuild Constructions,” he said.

“I’m advised the company should be ready to start work next week and, weather permitting, the new hospital should be completed by March next year.

“A separate tender to construct three new stand-alone staff accommodation buildings will be finalised in the next few weeks.”

Mr Robertson said the new purpose-built integrated health facility will provide a wide range of new and improved primary and community health services.

“This project ensures the local community will have a state-of-the-art hospital to meet their health care needs now and into the future.

“It also provides the opportunity for a wide range of co-located public and private health care providers to work closely in partnership to better address the acute, primary and community health care needs of Gin Gin.

“The new hospital will have six acute beds and two day beds to meet acute patient demand and to provide additional capacity if needed in the future.

“There will be a new Emergency Department comprising an ambulance entry, resuscitation and High Dependency area, procedure/treatment areas, medical imaging, a consulting room and storage.

“Community Allied Health facilities in the hospital will include a patient waiting room, consulting rooms, dental and physiotherapy services, a pharmacy, activities room and toilets.

“The new Gin Gin facility is designed to be built while maintaining the operation of the existing hospital, which will be subsequently demolished,” he said.

Mr Robertson said that, in addition to the new hospital, the $8.6 million redevelopment includes $1.2 million in new staff accommodation quarters.

“The new staff quarters will have three stand-alone, fully self-contained buildings, each with two double bedrooms.

“Having the capacity to house up to six staff in new, air-conditioned quarters will greatly assist in recruiting new clinical staff as well as housing nursing staff and medical students.

“Having quality accommodation on-site also helps when staff are on-call and only need to walk 50 metres if required at the hospital,” Mr Robertson said.

District Health Council chairman Jim Mullett said he was delighted to see a timeline for the commencement of construction.

“The community and the hospital staff can rest assured that the new hospital is well and truly on the way,” Mr Mullett said.

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