More Gippsland families and their newest additions will get the specialist care they need closer to home thanks to a Victorian Government funding boost to expand the special care nursery in the Latrobe Valley.
Latrobe Regional Hospital will receive $2.62 million through the first round of the government’s new Regional Health Infrastructure Fund.
The $200 million fund – the largest of its kind in Victorian history – is rebuilding rural and regional hospitals to ensure all Victorians can access the high quality care and facilities they need, no matter where they live.
Refurbishment includes remodelling three paediatric two-bed rooms with ensuites, another three, two-bed maternity rooms with ensuites, the nursery and ancillary areas for visitors and staff.
It means better and safer care for babies and sick children and modern facilities for staff, and will allow more parents to stay with their babies, closer to their homes and loved ones in Gippsland.
Local patients also will benefit from the Victorian Government’s $5 million Victorian Telehealth Specialist Clinic Initiative, which makes it easier for regional and rural Victorians to attend specialist doctor appointments in the comfort of their home or local health service.
By using telehealth, top specialists from major metropolitan and regional hospitals can deliver face-to-face video consultations to rural patients securely online.