A NEW car park is to be built in the Mount Isa Hospital car park next year, health minister Cameron Dick announced on Wednesday.
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A helipad site will also be built on the hospital grounds. Consultation for the site is soon to begin, the heath minister said, at the foyer of the hospital.
Rescue helicopters currently land at Kruttschnitt Oval, on the other side of the Leichhardt River to the hospital.
They started landing there when the former helipad near the Mount Isa Hospital, which was on city council property, was closed.
It was closed when LifeFlight used a larger helicopter to provide services.
The new helipad site will be discussed with the health service, the Department of Health, the Mount Isa City Council, and the RACQ LifeFlight service, the health minister said.
Mr Dick said there will be 65 car parking spaces from the extension.
The upgrade was projected to cost $1.6 million.
“We know that in addition to being a source of frustration, parking issues can also impact on the reliability of meeting outpatient appointments and this can have potential impacts to the structured running of a hospital," he said.
North West Hospital and Health Service chairman Paul Woodhouse said the parking will be installed where director of nursing houses and staff accommodation were located. The units will be relocated across the road in Simpson Street.
Mr Woodhouse said the hospital board had “no plans to charge” patients to park to subsidise the cost of the development.
He said another reason for the upgrade was the distance from current car parking.
This was a concern for elderly and sick patients but also for staff safety.
Mr Woodhouse said the new helipad will have to be installed as close as possible to the emergency department.
State Member for Mount Isa Rob Katter said the need for additional car parking on the hospital’s grounds had been an ongoing issue.
He had been aware of it since he was a Mount Isa City councillor under mayor John Molony in the 2008-12 term.
The old helipad and current car parking in Ian Street is owned by the city council.
“It’s always been an awkward issue for a council owned car park issuing a service for a state owned hospital. If we can stop the elderly and sick walking an extra block or two we’ve done well,” Mr Katter said.