Spectacular: The Deakin-Epworth hospital proposed for Waurn Ponds.
By Noel Murphy
HERE’S Geelong’s first look at a striking six-storey Epworth/Deakin University training hospital set to be built at Waurn Ponds.
The $447 million hospital, designed by architects Silver Thomas Handley, will be built on 8.8 hectares of former Marcus Oldham College land at Pigdons Rd.
The hospital will inject 1100 jobs into the regional economy, with an additional 1000 jobs during construction.
A joint teaching hospital developed in partnership between Epworth HealthCare and Deakin University, it will host private health facilities and state-of-the-art operating theatres.
The first stage is set to comprise a six-storey building with 254 overnight inpatient beds, 12 intensive care beds, nine theatres, two catheter laboratories, an emergency department, consulting suites, an education precinct and retail space.
Seventy shell beds will be completed in the first stage, with their fit-out finished in the second. They will become six ICU beds and 64 overnight inpatient beds.
The first stage will offer a broad range of specialties, including chemotherapy, renal dialysis, maternity, cardiology, orthopaedics, general surgery, general medicine, respiratory medicine and rehabilitation.
In addition, the facility will include therapy space and outpatient services plus pathology, diagnostic imaging and back-of-house hospital functions.
Epworth HealthCare group chief executive Alan Kinkade told the Independent building could start next year.
“At present, Epworth is on track with planning and design stages and is aiming to call for tenders by the end of this year,’’ Mr Kinkade said.
“A precise start date is not known yet but the Epworth team is continuing consultations with the Geelong health community in developing its exciting plans for the Waurn Ponds site.
“Epworth Geelong and Deakin University will deliver new health services to Geelong and provide clinically-based teaching for medical, nursing and allied health students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.’’
noel.murphy@geelongindependent.com.au
