Community
18 July, 2024
$18m healthy upgrade
AN $18 million redevelopment has been unveiled at Cairns Private Hospital after two years of work with two new operating theatres and a state-of-the-art sterilising department to cater for the needs of the growing population.
Surgical capacity will not be a problem for the hospital in the near future.
The redevelopment started in 2022 and was fully funded by Ramsay Health Care. The result is an increase from seven operating theatres to nine, new preoperative and patient holding areas, anaesthetic stores, doctor and nurses’ offices and a sterilising department.
Hospital chief executive Ben Tooth said the redevelopment would provide the care needed for the changing needs of the Cairns population.
“This redevelopment was part of our masterplan. We did start to see the demand start to fill our seven operating theatres, so we could forecast that in the next two to three years there’d be additional growth and we’d need more capacity,” he said.
“As of yesterday, we held the first procedures in theatre eight, we undertook three procedures that went very well.
“We’re really excited to unveil the completion of this redevelopment. We have a brand new eighth operation theatre and a shell operating theatre number nine for future capacity and growth. The ninth theatre, which is yet to be fully fitted out, was built as part of our planning for future growth of the hospital. Once we determine exactly what procedures are needed in the region we can fit out the theatre accordingly.”
Mr Tooth said the new sterilising department was well equipped to manage the expanded hospital and additional responsibilities brought on by the pandemic.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr Robert Pozzi said the redevelopment would attract more healthcare professionals to the region.
“As surgeons we’re incredibly dependent on operating facilities and capacity and this upgrade is essential to the long-term ability for us to do our job,” he said.
