Teen tragedy prompts call for road overhaul at $40m Redland Bay ‘white elephant’ hospital

A $40 million satellite hospital, being built near a busy ferry terminal, has been labelled a white elephant and criticised for local traffic chaos after a teen was hit by a car in the area. WATCH THE VIDEO

A $40 million satellite hospital, being built near a busy ferry terminal, has been labelled a white elephant and criticised for creating local traffic chaos after a teen was hit by a car in the area.

The under-construction Redland Bay hospital will not have an emergency department, will shut at 5pm and will not have overnight inpatients. It will treat minor injuries and illnesses, do medical imaging, renal dialysis, and run some community health services.

But its harshest criticism came this week, when Russell Island Development Association called for the hospital developers and the local council to redraw surrounding roads to improve safety after a teen was knocked off his bike and seriously injured last month.

Cars parked on the median strip at Weinam Creek ferry terminal near the site of a new satellite hospital.

Redland Bay resident Carlo Medina, 13, has been fighting for life in hospital since he was hit by a car while riding his bike near the construction site on Good Friday.

Russell Island Development Association president Ian Olsson said proper road crossings and off-street carparking were needed to make the roads safe.

Russell Island Development Association’s Ian Olsson said there were safety issues with roads at the Weinam Creek-Redland Bay Hospital precinct.

“Allocating 39 car parks for boat trailers at the ferry terminal along with closing car spaces where the hospital is being built has made it very congested and dangerous,” Mr Olsson said.

“Speeds need to be curtailed, otherwise we will have more injuries.”

Redland Bay resident Junita Grosvenor said traffic in the area was chaotic after the popular car park for island residents was razed to make way for the new satellite hospital, forcing island residents to park in residential streets.

The Moores Carpark at Weinam Creek before it opened to the public. The car park is now at capacity with island cars, which has mainland residents concerned about on-street parking issues after a $40 million hospital opens nearby.

Ms Grosvenor said the new facility would be a limited-service specialist day clinic which would not treat injured and sick locals or islanders and would not have surgery facilities or taking patients overnight.

“It would have been no use to Carlo, when he was hit by the car,” she said.

“Locals are concerned about the lack of road safety at the corner of Government and Meissner roads where the satellite hospital is being built.

“This is also a busy bus route as well as being the main intersection to get to the Redland Bay ferry terminal.

“There were two big pools of blood on the road the next day after Carlo was hit so we need a safe pedestrian crossing there and devices to slow down traffic on Moores Rd.

“Islanders will have to park further away from the Redland Bay ferry terminal in narrow residential streets which makes those roads even more dangerous for kids on bikes.”

Mark Robinson said $40 million would have been better spent fixing up the existing Redland Hospital at Cleveland.

LNP Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said the $40 million would have been better spent on an Intensive Care Unit at Cleveland’s Redland Hospital, about 12km away.

“Pressure would have been taken from the health system if they had invested in a hospital upgrade but instead funds desperately needed to properly run the hospital are being diverted to less important medical areas,” Mr Robinson said.

He said patients at the new site would eventually be forced to pay for parking.

It is unknown how much parking will cost at the new hospital but once open, it is likely to be on par with pricing at Redland Hospital, where it is free until a new multistorey carpark opens.

A $40 million satellite hospital, being built near a busy ferry terminal, has been labelled a white elephant and criticised for local traffic chaos after a teen was hit by a car in the area.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath stepped in to defend building the “innovative” hospital, which she said would benefit patients undergoing some cancer treatments and those having dialysis.

She said the clinic was intended to take the pressure off the nearby Redland Hospital in Cleveland.

A $40 million satellite hospital is being built at Redland Bay where a teen suffered serious head injuries after being knocked off his bike on a nearby busy road.

“The purpose of the satellite hospitals is to transfer services currently housed in major public hospitals, such as renal and oncology, to a community setting,” she said.

A Health Department spokesman said the seven satellite hospitals, including the one at Redland Bay, were designed to support emergency departments not replace or replicate them.

The new bayside hospital, part of a $265 million program, will open next year and will include simple day therapy services and care for minor injuries and illnesses.

Other satellite hospitals will be built at Eight Mile Plains, Caboolture, Ripley, Pine Rivers, Tugun and Bribie Island.