Gippsland’s first ever catheterisation laboratory for cardiac surgery at Latrobe Regional Hospital is now complete, and will soon give patients quicker access to life saving surgery, closer to home.
Minister for Health Jill Hennessy and Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing today toured the state-of-the-art cardiac cath lab, built as part of the $73 million redevelopment of Latrobe Regional Hospital.
Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories – known as ‘cath labs’ – are used for lifesaving heart procedures such as stenting, angiography, inserting pacemakers and implantable defibrillators.
Instead of being transferred to Melbourne, Gippsland patients will have the world class cardiac surgery and care they deserve, right on their doorstep.
This means more people with cardiovascular disease can get the care they need quicker and enjoy better health outcomes. Loved ones will also save on expensive travel and accommodation costs in Melbourne.
The new cath lab is fully funded by the Andrews Labor Government’s and is expected to treat its first patients in December.
The $73 million Latrobe Regional Hospital will be completed later this month and features a 12-bed short stay unit, 30-bed acute in-patient ward, two endoscopy rooms and new main entrance and a new emergency department – doubling the previous capacity –
The Victorian Budget 2017/18 includes $1.67 billion to support hospitals to meet demand and provide the high quality care Victorian patients deserve, when and where the need it.
Latrobe Regional Hospital will receive $209.6 million this financial year, up by $25.877 million – or 14.1 per cent – on the previous year.
The latest hospital performance data shows Latrobe Regional Hospital reduced the number of patients on the elective surgery waiting list from 1,194 to 1,032 in the June quarter and provided operations for 97 per cent of all elective surgery patients within the benchmark times, well above the state average of 90 per cent.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy
“Patients with cardiovascular disease in Gippsland will soon have better access to lifesaving cardiac care with the region’s first ever cath lab.”
“We are making sure more Victorians – no matter where they live – get the care they need, faster.”
Quote attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing
“We are putting regional patients first. The revamp and expansion of Latrobe Regional Hospital will see more patients in Gippsland get the high quality emergency care and surgeries they need, sooner.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020