Griffith Base Hospital (GBH) is in need of a rebuild, according to local member Adrian Piccoli.
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Griffith mayor John Dal Broi told The Area News the hospital needed about $30 million from the NSW Government for an upgrade.
However, Mr Piccoli said the cost of modernising GBH was actually more substantial.
“When it comes time it will basically need a rebuild,” Mr Piccoli said.
“I’ve been talking to Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) about Griffith Base Hospital and I’ve been actively lobbying Health Minister Jillian Skinner.
“There’s a new facility at Hillston, $15 million spent at Barham, a couple of million at Tocumwal, so Griffith should be next on the list.”
The discussion about funding for the public hospital comes after both Griffith City Council and St Vincent’s Private Health accused the state government of pulling funding for a $2.3 million sterilisation unit.
Councillor Dal Broi said the existing sterilisation unit at the public hospital was so old they could no longer buy spare parts for it any more.
“They were going to put up a sterilisation unit and they backed out at the last minute,” Cr Dal Broi said.
“It took us probably six months to get St Vincent’s to do it.”
Cr Dal Broi said Ms Skinner had indicated to him funds were set aside for the public hospital, “but to this day we haven’t seen those funds provided”.
“The base hospital has been master-planned and I believe the initial figures floating around are about $30 million to upgrade the hospital and remove some of the outer buildings,” he said.
“As GBH grew they put a wing here and there and it was difficult to service, so they’re looking at bringing it all together.
“The new emergency department works very well and now it’s up to us to really push the state government to upgrade the base hospital.”
Wagga Base Hospital’s redevelopment, which is due for completion in the coming weeks, has cost the NSW Government about $450 million. Cr Dal Broi said Mr Piccoli had to work harder to secure funding for GBH.
“Our local member has to work pretty hard to secure some of the funding for our base hospital,” Cr Dal Broi said.
“I’m a bit disappointed, there can be a lot of improvement but we haven’t seen any money for it.
“In addition, the state government’s contribution to the private hospital has been zip.”
Mr Piccoli said he had argued strongly for funding for the public hospital, but said the state doesn’t fund private hospitals.
“Any money we spend on hospitals goes into public hospitals,” Mr Piccoli said.
“The Department of Health doesn’t fund capital works in private hospitals.”