The Victorian Government has announced a $35 million funding boost for the state’s hospitals to allow the purchase of replacement medical equipment.

 

State Health Minister David Davis announced the funding under the 2011/12 Medical Equipment Program.

 

"This funding will allow health services to buy the newest diagnostic and interventional medical equipment for surgical and medical procedures,” Mr Davis said.

 

"It funds a range of medical equipment from larger cardiac catheter laboratories, to new ergonomic hospital beds, sterilising equipment, x-ray units and patient monitors."

 

Funding announced so far is:

  • $3.97 million for Southern Health including a new cardiac catheter laboratory for MonashHeart and 170 hospital beds at Dandenong Hospital;
  • $3.56 million for Melbourne Health to replace a cardiac catheter laboratory, a fluoroscopy system in radiology and SPECT/CT gamma camera; and,
  • $3.1 million for Austin Health including a Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/CT scanner.

 

"This funding will help provide our metropolitan and rural hospitals access to the most up-to-date medical technology and cutting edge equipment," Mr Davis said.

 

"In 2011/12 metropolitan health services will share in $24.8 million and rural health services will share in $9 million from the Medical Equipment Program.

 

"We are also supporting the replacement of statewide public health laboratory equipment required for areas such as clinical genetics with $1.2 million."