PDF printable version of Calvary’s Seventh Operating Theatre is Good News for Elective and Emergency Surgery Patients (PDF 19 KB)
Joint Release
The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health
The Hon Bob McMullan MP
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
Katy Gallagher MLA
ACT Minister for Health
16 March 2009
The Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, and ACT Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher MLA today officially open a new operating theatre at Calvary Hospital.
The operating theatre has been built from a $6.6 million contribution by the Rudd Government which will also see two operating theatres built at Canberra Hospital.
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, said today’s opening shows what both levels of Government can do when they work together to improve health services.
Ms Roxon said, “This opening comes on the back of fantastic elective surgery figures were published for the ACT. The results show that the ACT carried out 680 additional elective surgeries for 2008, after the Rudd Government provided an additional $2.5 million to the ACT.
In welcoming the new operating theatre at Calvary Hospital, ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher highlighted the ongoing improvement in health services this theatre and the two that will come online at Canberra Hospital will bring to the people of Canberra and the communities in surrounding areas.
“The construction of the three operating theatres in the ACT will relieve critical capacity constraints in the existing 14 public operating theatres,” Ms Gallagher said. “We estimate each new theatre will allow us to conduct an additional 500 procedures per year.”
“This latest round of Commonwealth support complements the ACT Government’s own efforts to tackle the ACT’s elective surgery waiting lists, and it also bridges a gap in our health infrastructure until the ACT Government’s own $1 billon plus
Your health — our priority program can be fully implemented.”
“I’d like to express my appreciation to Minister Roxon and the Commonwealth Government for this valuable and timely support,” Ms Gallagher said.
Member for Fraser Bob McMullan welcomed the additional operating theatre and said he looked forward also to the two operating theatres at Canberra Hospital opening in the future.
“This investment is delivering results for the people of the ACT and it shows what can be done when Governments both Federal and Territory work together and invest in health services for the ACT,” said Mr McMullan.
The new theatre will assist to accommodate a broad range of procedures including ophthalmology, orthopaedics, gynaecology and general surgery. It will also enable revised schedules for emergency surgery, with improved patient outcomes anticipated from reduced delays for patients awaiting emergency procedures.
Media Contact: Minister Roxon’s office (02) 6277 7220
Minister Gallagher’s office (02) 6205 0139
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