Murray Bridge Hospital emergency department upgrade approved by SA’s public works committee

Work on the Murray Bridge hospital’s new emergency department will begin within months after it received the final tick of approval from state MPs.

A construction tender will be finalised shortly now that South Australia’s public works committee has given its consent.

State Health Minister Stephen Wade said the $7 million upgrade would give locals access to “world-class” health care.

The new department, twice the size of the current one, will feature two rescusitation bays and seven treatment bays, four more than are currently available.

It will also have a waiting room and separate quiet room for patients who might have trouble coping with the busyness of the main area; plus two procedure rooms, two consulting rooms, an ambulance lobby, nurses’ station, toilet and shower, and a relatives’ room.

Local clinicians and other stakeholders helped to shape the final design.

Just over 6600 patients presented to Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital’s emergency department in 2016-17.

That figure is projected to grow to 14,500 by 2026.

Source: Murray Valley Standard. Published 22/07/19