Charlotte Varcoe
WORKS are on schedule for the expansion of the Mount Gambier and District Hospital according to the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN).
LCLHN chairperson Grant King said work was “very close” to starting in terms of construction workers at the hospital where a range of expansions were due to take place.
The state government announced improvements to the emergency department, more mental health beds and more after plans were released late last year.
“The work that is about to happen in the emergency department and those new short term stay beds – those works are proceeding really well,” Mr King said.
“Overall from the board perspective we really do see that Mount Gambier is a major regional hospital and we need to make it as strong as possible for the whole community.
“It is really important work that we upgrade and continue to illustrate it is a major regional hospital in South Australia and it does require the investment that has been planned.”
Mr King said the expansions had taken a lot of planning.
“What we have tried to do is make sure that each of the pieces of work that have to be done can be done in a way they follow on,” he said.
“We can get some efficiencies through doing as much at the same time as we possibly can but the planning through a range of agencies including SA Pathology has been really important because we are trying to make the extensions work as well as possible next to existing services.”
It comes following Leader of the Opposition David Speirs hit back at the state government regarding the planned works.
Mr Speirs claimed there was a “lack of progress” on the upgrades which he labelled as “incredibly disappointing”.
“Mount Gambier’s seen little from Peter Malinauskas since the election as he tries to hide from his record of failure and Adelaide-centric spending,” Mr Speirs said.
“South Australia’s entire hospital system is under incredible pressure at the moment and it’s time we see some action from Peter Malinauskas, not just empty promises.”
Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton said the criticism was “galling”.
“The project is currently out to tender and is on track to commence in coming months. Works will be completed in late 2025 as scheduled,” Mr Picton said.
“These upgrades will be staged to minimise disruption to the hospital’s operations and are part of more than $52 million of health service commitments we’ve made to the Limestone Coast.
“The budget of the Limestone Coast Local Health Network has increased by more than $31 million since the Malinauskas Labor Government came to office, an increase of more than 19 per cent compared to the former Liberal Government’s final budget in 2021/22.”
