11,000 jobs on pipeline as hospital work starts

Sunshine Coast Daily, 1st September 2011
by Bianca Clare.

WORK will finally start on the Sunshine Coast University Hospital project site today, generating 11,250 building-related jobs over the next five years.

The building phase of the new 200-bed Ramsay Health private hospital will generate about 250 construction jobs.

When it opens in late 2013, work will then begin on the neighbouring $2.03 billion public hospital, generating 11,000 construction-related jobs. The early site works between now and Christmas will allow for the actual “physical construction” of the $150 million private hospital to start early next year.

Workforce planning is under way to attract the 700 medical staff needed to operate the hospital, which will be of similar size to Bundaberg Public Hospital.

The State Government will purchase up to 110 beds worth of public patient services from Ramsay Health until the public hospital is completed with 450 beds in 2016.

The public hospital was originally slated to open in 2014.

But the Government, citing the economic downturn, announced in 2009 that the hospital would be delayed by two years.

Akalan project director David Duffy said the private hospital construction workers would comprise subcontractors engaged to perform trade-based work packages.

“Suitable companies to perform these work packages will be sought from the Sunshine Coast and we expect to create a number of work opportunities for the local community,” Mr Duffy said.

The four-storey private hospital will have six state-of-the-art operating theatres, a minor procedural suite, a day surgery centre and an eight-bed intensive care unit.

The hospital includes more than 1000sq m of medical suites. Pathology and radiology services will also be available.

Health Minister Geoff Wilson said the private hospital would also play an important role in attracting specialists and other clinical staff to the overall Kawana site.