Designs have been revealed for a new A$20m ($13.74m) dedicated children’s emergency department at the University Hospital Geelong at Geelong in Victoria, a state in Australia.
The designs of the state-of-the-art emergency care were unveiled by Victoria Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas.
The emergency department will provide a child-friendly environment and will come with a capacity to meet growing demand.
It will include 28 dedicated treatment spaces including two fast-track and eight short-stay beds, with new treatment rooms and support spaces and a separate paediatric triage system as well as waiting area.
The designs reveal calming, soft tones and décor to help reduce anxiety in young patients.
This new facility is being delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) in partnership with Barwon Health.
Construction will begin this month and is slated to complete in July next year. During the construction phase, around 60 jobs are expected to be created.
This project is part of the state government’s investment to deliver specially-designed children’s emergency facilities in some of the busiest hospitals.
Furthermore, the investment builds on over A$500m from the state budget for 2022/23 for the flagship Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
The new Barwon Women’s and Children’s Hospital will integrate with the current University Hospital Geelong services and will provide further capacity to meet growing demand in the region.
The new facilities include more birthing suites, extra maternity inpatient beds, more paediatric inpatient beds, and additional special care nursery cots.
Mary-Anne Thomas said: “This multi-million-dollar project will provide kids in Geelong with faster access to the care and treatment they need and a safer and more suitable work environment for the region’s amazing health care workers.”
“We’re making sure kids in Geelong and the Barwon region get the quick, dedicated care they need so that they feel better sooner and in a safe, calm and comforting environment.”
