Extensive excavation works are now underway on Australia’s first ever specialist heart hospital, located at Monash University’s Clayton Campus, Melbourne.
The hospital will provide space for new cardiac treatment, education and training and research.
Around 90 per cent of materials used in the construction of the facility will come from local suppliers, with more than 1700 construction jobs created.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia, with statistics finding one Australian dies every 12 minutes as a result of cardiovascular disease.
The hospital will have the capacity for 206 beds when it opens and allow for up to 2150 cardiac surgeries, 13,500 cardiac laboratory procedures and 108,000 consultations each year.
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The centre will provide learning spaces for more than 300 undergraduate students, 260 post graduate students and 20 PhD students a year.
“Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in Australia – that’s why we’re delivering the services that Victorians deserve, ensuring everyone has access to world-class cardiac facilities and treatment,” Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said.
“This hospital will not only provide the very best cardiac care for patients with heart disease, but it will be home to ground-breaking medical research and will train the next generation of Victorian heart specialists.”
Regional Victorians can also benefit from the project, which will provide telehealth facilities to connect specialists with country patients and their local doctors, removing the need to travel for specialist appointments.
The hospital is being delivered in partnership with Monash Health and Monash University and is expected to be completed in 2022.
“The new hospital right here in Clayton will save thousands of lives and further cement Victoria’s reputation as a world leader in health and medical research,” Member for Oakleigh Steve Dimopoulos.