The Allan Labor Government is giving hospitals the latest medical equipment and the essential infrastructure upgrades they need to continue providing world-class healthcare for all Victorians.
Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas today announced the latest rounds of the Medical Equipment Replacement Program and Engineering Infrastructure Replacement Program are now open - encouraging health services to begin submitting their applications before 15 November 2024.
Successful applicants will share in $40 million through the Engineering Infrastructure Replacement Program and $35 million via Medical Equipment Replacement Program - as part of a significant $1.7 billion health infrastructure investment in this year's Victorian Budget 2024/25.
Now worth more than $305 million in total, the Engineering Infrastructure Replacement Program is helping improve safety, efficiency, and reliability of public hospitals, by reducing any risk to patients and healthcare workers and improving service availability.
Applications can include upgrades or replacements of essential engineering infrastructure for acute services in public hospitals, from generators, chillers, emergency lighting, patient lifts and water and fire service upgrades.
Projects previously funded include $5 million to replace the main switchboard at Austin Health to safeguard against intermittent power loss to critical clinical areas and nearly $1 million to replace the entire nurse call system with an integrated and sustainably managed nurse call system at Moyne Health.
Worth $315 million overall, Medical Equipment Replacement Program is helping hospitals meet the record demand they continue to face - and to deliver world-class care sooner, and closer to home.
The cutting-edge equipment being funded includes CT scanners, digital X-Ray units, ultrasounds, operating room microscopes, and heart imaging equipment such as transesophageal echocardiogram units.
The medical equipment supports operating suites, emergency departments, surgical wards, intensive care units, neonatal and maternity services and specialist areas.
Projects previously funded include more than $1.9 million for a new Fluoroscopy unit and MRI scanner at Northeast Health Wangaratta, and more than $1 million to replace an outdated CT scanner with the latest state-of-the-art technology at Ballarat Base Hospital.
For more information on the Programs, please visit vhba.vic.gov.au.
As stated by Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas
"Every Victorian deserves access to high quality, safe care no matter where they live - that's why we continue to deliver these grant programs and support health services to continue the incredible work they do."
"This investment backs in our hardworking healthcare staff, who deserve the very best theatres, surgical tools and diagnostic equipment available."
