Julia Creek is to get a brand new hospital in the next 12 months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said on Wednesday that the Palaszczuk Government will invest $8.4 million to build the new facility.
“It will allow us to deliver more services with a modern emergency room, outpatients, pharmacy, pathology as well as staff amenities,”Mr Miles said.
“The hospital will have an integrated care model accommodating primary care, hospital care and aged care all under one roof.”
Mr Miles said construction will start as soon as possible.
To have aged care as part of the facility is exciting because people who spend most of their lives in rural communities have had to go away to be provided with health services or palliative care and that puts a lot of pressure on the families especially when you look at the distances that have to be travelled.
- Mayor Belinda Murphy
“The facility will be a new build on the existing site, so the new building will be built first and the old building demolished after,” he said.
“It’s expected to take nearly a year so we will be open in the first half of next year.”
The Health Minister said it would be business as usual at the existing hospital during the construction of the new building.
Mayor of McKinlay Shire Belinda Murphy said the new hospital will be designed to best meet the needs of the community.
“After over 40 years with the previous hospital, this new one is fit for the future, an integrated model for our health services, not just for Julia Creek but our entire Shire,” she said.
“And why it’s exciting for our community is – right across from that site is where our Ambulance is situated so it’s exciting to have all the services in one area.”
Cr Murphy said it was good to have aged care as part of the facility.
“Because people who spend most of their lives in rural communities have had to go away to be provided with health services or palliative care and that puts a lot of pressure on the families especially when you look at the distances that have to be travelled,” she said.
North west Hospital and Health Board Chair Paul Woodhouse said the board was grateful to the Queensland Government for the funding.
“It was a unique opportunity to have a new facility designed and built to meet the needs of the community and the board acknowledges the strong support of the community the Advisory Network and the McKinlay Shire Council,” he said.
