LABOR\u2019S big guns visited Geelong on Tuesday to announce a Shorten Labor government would invest a combined $90 million to redevelop Baxter House Hospital as an elective surgery centre and establish a women and children\u2019s hospital in Geelong.<\/p>\n
They also pledged $15 million towards the Torquay Community Hospital. Mr Shorten was joined by fellow Labor Party members Senate Leader Penny Wong, Member for Corio Richard Marles, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Corangamite candidate Libby Coker at Deakin University\u2019s Waurn Ponds to announce the election pledge.<\/p>\n
A statement from the Labor party said $40 million of Labor\u2019s commitment would go towards the redevelopment of Baxter House into a \u201cstate-of-theart\u201d elective surgery centre to allow locals faster access to surgery, and to reduce pressure on Geelong Hospital. \u201cThis funding will go towards upgrading and reopening the existing theatres, recovery spaces, lifts and administration areas,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLabor will also invest $50 million to help establish the new Geelong Women and Children\u2019s Hospital, focused on providing the best health care for families.\u201d<\/p>\n
The investment is on top of the Andrews Government\u2019s $100 million investment in the hospital.<\/p>\n
A commitment of $15 million towards the Torquay Community Hospital was also announced, with the investment aimed at providing suburban and regional Victorians access to services closer to their homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Torquay Community Hospital will make it easier for families, patients, carers and clients to access services \u2013 such as women\u2019s health, diagnostics including pathology, and chronic disease management \u2013 without having to travel to Geelong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liberal Corangamite member Sarah Henderson said that $50 million of the money Labor announced was already in the budget and Mr Shorten was misleading the people of Geelong and Corangamite.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have also announced in the budget $10 million for a new paediatric emergency department,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LABOR\u2019S big guns visited Geelong on Tuesday to announce a Shorten Labor government would invest a combined $90 million to redevelop Baxter House Hospital as an elective surgery centre and establish a women and children\u2019s hospital in Geelong. They also pledged $15 million towards the Torquay Community Hospital. Mr Shorten was joined by fellow Labor […]<\/p>\n