April 16th, 2023Choppers diverted while helipad built
Helicopters carrying patients requiring emergency care will be diverted to
the Ballarat airport or an oval for three years while a helipad is built on the
top of the new multi-level Ballarat Base Hospital.
Minister for Heath and Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas announced funding
of $54 million to deliver the helipad and an extra 400 parking spaces for staff and
patients.
Construction on the tower begins next year and is set for completion in
2027. It will include a new emergency department, women and children’s hub, state-
of-the-art theatre suite, 100 additional inpatient and short stay beds and the helipad.
Ms Thomas said the new helipad would give patients quicker access to the emergency
department and operating theatres – “ensuring patients in an emergency get the care
they need as fast as possible”