FEBRUARY 7, 2018 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
NEWS + SPORT + THE WEST’S BEST PROPERTY GUIDE
Hospital open for business By Charlene Macaulay Werribee’s newest hospital is up and running. More than two years after the first sod was turned, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee is open, getting through five surgeries on its first day of operation last Tuesday. Dr Iain Skinner, who advocated strongly for St Vincent’s to build a hospital in the west, had the honour of performing the first surgery.
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The whole patient process was very smooth - Christine Flett
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Top: St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee has opened its doors. Above: Members of the hopsital’s team are all smiles on day one. (Pictures: SVPH)
what’s so important about us being here – that we’re really seen as a local hospital.” The hospital also features the first cardiac catheter laboratory in the west, with the first procedure to be performed this Thursday. From February 26, the hospital will admit expectant mums to its maternity ward and special-care nursery. To date, 50 pregnant women are booked in to have their babies delivered at the hospital between February and September. Ms Flett said the hospital had employed 80 staff, all Wyndham residents, to meet current demand. More positions will be filled as the hospital grows to capacity.
(Damjan Janevski)
The $95 million hospital includes six operating theatres, 112 beds, a day procedure unit, day oncology/infusion centre, rehabilitation facilities and suites for radiology, pathology and consulting. The hospital offers orthopaedics, urology and general surgery and ear, nose and throat services, as well as sleep studies services. An on-site 80-bed aged-care service opened last June. The hospital’s chief executive and director of nursing, Christine Flett, said it was great to see all the planning come to fruition. “It was a very exciting feeling in the building with all our new staff,” she said. “The whole patient process was very smooth. “We’re growing the business slowly so we can make sure that we have everything going smoothly. “All our patients that are coming to book in are from the local area … that’s
MELODY, 7
All eyes on the Lunar festival Live performances, traditional costumes, food and fireworks will light up the Point Cook Lunar New Year Festival later this month. The annual festival will be held at the Point Cook Town Centre from noon to 9.30pm on Saturday, February 24. The fireworks will be held at Dunnings Road Reserve towards the end of the celebrations. Event co-ordinator Bob Fairclough said that more than 15,000 people attended last year’s festival and he was hoping for an even bigger crowd this year. See wyndham.vic.gov.au or the Point Cook Cultural Community Facebook page for details. Alesha Capone