July 22nd, 2025Healthcare funding
Minister for Health Infrastructure Melissa Horne has visited the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre to announce the successful recipients in the latest round of the Medical Equipment Replacement Program (MERP). The grant program provides funding to hospitals to upgrade vital medical imaging and surgical equipment.
As part of the latest round, eight health services will share in $35 million for a total of 10 projects.
The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre will upgrade its Diagnostic Computer Tomography Unit – a critical piece of equipment that can identify lung cancer in eligible, asymptomatic, high-risk patients.
The Royal Children’s Hospital will upgrade an ultrasonic aspirator to support young patients receiving liver transplants and epilepsy surgery.
Alfred Health will upgrade and install two major pieces of equipment – a wide bore MRI scanner with bariatric capability will provide faster scans to more patients and a new stereotactic navigation system will support the work of the neurosurgery team when treating complex conditions such as brain cancer, epilepsy, and trauma injuries.
Monash Health will upgrade both its neurosurgical microscope and angiography system, supporting safer, more precise surgery capabilities
Other health services receiving funding from this round includes Austin Health for a PET/CT Unit, St Vincent’s Hospital for an Ear Nose and Throat Surgical Navigation System, and the Royal Melbourne Hospital for a new CT scanner.
Grampians Health will receive funding for a new Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT-CT) unit – to assist cardiac and oncology patients with treatment, boosting nuclear medicine in the region.
