The completion of improvement works at the Gnowangerup Hospital marks another important milestone for the half a billion dollar Southern Inland Health Initiative (SIHI), which is investing in country health across much of WA’s southern inland region.
The SIHI capital works program, which amounts for $300 million, is being delivered by WA Country Health Service as part of the biggest investment in country health in the State’s history.
SIHI is improving access to medical and emergency coverage, providing new and improved modern health facilities and new models of healthcare delivery. It aims to enhance service provision and improve health outcomes for communities in the Wheatbelt, Great Southern, South West, Goldfields and Midwest.
The refurbishment of the Gnowangerup Health Service will provide enhanced health facilities to the local community including a new emergency treatment room, upgraded ambulance bay, a new nurse call system to enhance patient comfort and a new multipurpose consultation room.
The SIHI capital works program is more extensive and complex than any project previously undertaken by the WA Country Health Service, with new builds and upgrades to 37 hospitals and health services in the Great Southern, Wheatbelt, South West and Midwest.
In the Great Southern, Katanning, Gnowangerup and Kojonup hospitals as well as the Tambellup Health Clinic are all part of the SIHI capital upgrade program. Tambellup Health Clinic and Kojonup Health Service were the first two upgraded facilities to be completed as part of the SIHI program. Forward works for redevelopment of the Katanning Health Service are due to begin in early 2016.