James Merlino and Health Minister meet with 95-year-old Angliss Hospital patient Nellie Fairbairn. 21251
By Casey Neill
ANGLISS Hospital will share in a record $31 million Eastern Health budget boost announced last week.
The health care service provider will receive more than $412.99 million in State Government funding this financial year, an eight per cent increase from 2007/08.
Eastern Health CEO Dr Tracey Batten said most of the extra funds would be used to open and expand services across the eastern region.
“The Government’s support in funding equipment upgrades supports our staff to provide more timely and efficient services from diagnosis to treatment,” Dr Batten said.
Health Minister Daniel Andrews announced the funding increase at Upper Ferntree Gully’s Angliss Hospital last Thursday.
Mr Andrews said Eastern Health would also receive an additional $2.5 million to replace old or outdated medical equipment.
Angliss’s share of the funds includes $250,000 to replace the imaging department x-ray system, $90,000 for new anaesthetic units in the operating suite and $60,000 for a new ultrasound unit in the emergency department.
“It will provide Eastern Health with the modern technology now available and ensure this quality health service can stay at the forefront of medical equipment advances,” Mr Andrews said.
Other members of Eastern Health include Yarra Ranges Health, Wantirna Health, Yarra Valley Community Health Service and Box Hill, Healesville and District and Maroondah Hospitals.
Mr Andrews said Victoria’s hospitals would this year receive $311.6 million more funding than the previous financial year.
He said the increase would enable hospitals to treat 60,000 more emergency department patients and provide 33,500 additional outdoor patient appointments.
