Moruya Hospital: NSW Health promises south coast residents new regional hospital site
The State Government has reassured residents the site of a new $200 million regional hospital will soon be confirmed, but one doctor says a medical facility should have been built 20 years ago.
The South Coast News
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The State Government has promised residents this week the site for the $200 million Eurobodalla regional hospital will be confirmed this year despite one sceptical doctor saying ti should have been built 20 years ago.
“Planning for the new hospital is on schedule and the location is expected to be announced before the end of 2020,” NSW Health said this week.
A spokesman said construction would begin “in this term of government”, with the next state election scheduled for March 25, 2023.
Moruya gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Michael Holland, who began a petition two years ago pushing for the construction of a regional hospital in the Eurobodalla, says a decision for a site could be made in the next few weeks.
He said the region needs immediate upgrading of its accident and emergency, and critical care services, with the region having thousands more presentations than other regional hospitals in Bega and Goulburn.
Dr Holland said a regional hospital should’ve been built 20 years ago in the Eurobodalla, and said the new hospital may not be up to par for another 10 years.
“We should’ve been the first place to get a new hospital and they haven’t dug a hole to get it started yet,” he said on Tuesday.
“On paper, it’s bleeding obvious our numbers outweigh the other regions. People want to come here, which is why our numbers have grown by 20 per cent.
“The community expects we get a hospital with equal access to people in the area, and equal services to other base hospitals in the area.
“The question is, when will it be finished and will it be a fully functioning Level 4 hospital?”
He said patients from as far as the Shoalhaven have travelled to Bega due to a lack of paediatricians.
“Pressure needs to be maintained on the health department to show the leadership they need to make sure the hospital won’t have problems,” he said.
On June 11, the State Government announced a further injection of $50 million, bringing the total investment for the new hospital to $200 million.
In July, NSW Health Infrastructure project director Matt Malone said the aim was to finish the hospital within three to four years on a greenfield site.
NSW Health said the new hospital would be “sustainable” and “modern”, and has identified the Eurobodalla as one of the highest regions of growth on the south coast.
The new hospital will combine the Moruya District Hospital and Batemans Bay Hospital.
The two areas currently under consideration are east of the Moruya TAFE and the Moruya industrial area, with the chosen site expected to be a mixture of both private and Crown lands.
The sites north and south-east of Moruya are being considered due to accessibility, proximity to population areas and local infrastructure such as the Moruya airport and any potential environmental impacts, according to Health Infrastructure NSW.
Road access and connectivity with a planned Moruya bypass and avoiding flood and bushfire zones are also critical to site selection.
Late last year Bega state Liberal MP Andrew Constance said the “best location for the community” would be chosen, and hit back at detractors sceptical the hospital will be built quickly.
“Well if people don’t believe I’m going to build this, well I’ll point to the South East Regional Hospital and the Batemans Bay bridge...” he said. “Well sorry, these things will get built and have been built.”