A Bunbury building company has been awarded the contract for the final stages of the $14.9million redevelopment of Bunbury Hospital Critical Care.
Health Minister Kim Hames said Perkins (WA) Pty Ltd had won the contract for the second and third stages of the project, which involves the expansion and redevelopment of the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED).
The expansion is being funded with $14.1million from the Federal Government’s $70million Western Australian allocation from the ‘Taking Pressure off Public Hospitals’ Program. The State Government has contributed $800,000. The work is being project managed by the Department of Finance’s Building Management and Works.
“The forward works have been completed and construction is expected to start in the next few weeks,” Dr Hames said.
“As the project is taking place on the South West Health Campus at the same time as a major cancer centre development by St John of God Hospital Bunbury, forward works were undertaken concurrently to avoid duplication of underground engineering services.
“Stage one, in which the High Dependency Unit was redeveloped and upgraded to support the Intensive Care Unit service, was completed in March 2011.”
Stage two, which is the expansion of the ED from 15 to 27 treatment bays, is expected to be completed in early 2013. Stage three, the ‘Fast Track’ area and Short Stay Units, is expected to be finished later the same year.
The redeveloped Critical Care department will include a ‘Fast Track’ area and a Short Stay Unit. These facilities will support improved models of emergency care and provide a dedicated observation area for short stay or overnight patients and reduce pressure on beds in other areas of the hospital.
Bunbury Hospital will remain fully operational during construction.