14/9/01
The State Government has allocated $880,000 to the $6 million redevelopment of Kalgoorlie Health Service facilities in this year's Budget.
Budget commitments will see several million dollars injected into hospital and health service projects, of two to five years' duration, for the Goldfields and Esperance regions of the State.
Health Minister Bob Kucera said the Government has given rural and regional areas of the State a high priority in the budget, specifically committing $15.4 million this financial year in capital works for new and existing projects and $124 million over four years.
The current financial year's capital works program includes 38 works in progress, of which 22 are in regional Western Australia. The regions will also benefit from eight new projects with funding provision of $1.7 million.
Rural areas will also benefit from a range of State-wide projects designed to upgrade equipment and facilities.
Overall funding for regional health services is up eight per cent on last year's State Budget.
Goldfields Health Services will this financial year have an anticipated budget of $48.4 million, which represents a 9.3 per cent increase on the previous financial year.
"The overall budgetary situation is very tight and all agencies have been asked to manage their budgets responsibly," Mr Kucera said.
"Health has been quarantined from any cuts and, in fact, there has been a substantial increase in spending.
"As a Government, we expect rural health services to deliver the same level of service as they have in the past, but they do have a responsibility to manage their costs."
Mr Kucera said the projects in the new works program included all of the Government's election commitments for capital works.
"The capital works program highlights the Government's commitment to health services in rural and remote areas with the construction of new facilities, the redevelopment of existing facilities and the provision of a range of services,"
Mr Kucera said.
As part of a State Government commitment to improving mental health services throughout the State, $930,000 is being spent over two years to build a new mental health complex at Kalgoorlie.
"This new specialist adult acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit will be used as a regional resource within the Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital complex and absorb some of the pressure on services in the metropolitan area," Mr Kucera said.
The Warburton Clinic will also be replaced with $2 million being spent during the three-year term of the project.
Other State-wide initiatives outlined in this year's Budget include:
- $9.5 million this financial year to upgrade hospital buildings and equipment;
- $5 million over the next three years for new accommodation and upgrading of existing facilities for both doctors and nurses;
- upgrading of rural surgical theatres and a $13 million four-year project to upgrade communication infrastructure in rural health services;
- more than $1 million in State-wide funding to reinvigorate the role of child health nurses and community health workers;
- $4 million over four years to ensure that country people have better access to allied health services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and radiography; and
- an extension of the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) with a further $1 million in funding in 2001-02.
Mr Kucera said that both the Goldfields and the Esperance regions would also benefit from an expansion of dental and allied health services.
In the Goldfields - as part of a specific initiative to provide a better health care service - $40,000 ($160,000 over four years) has been made available to boost funding to the Sexual Referral Centre in Kalgoorlie and $50,000 ($200,000 over four years) to establish a men's health service in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Both these amounts will be provided this financial year and a total of $360,000 will be provided jointly over the Government's term of office.
"The Government has formulated long-term plans for health services, which take into account the specific needs of the regional and more remote communities in Western Australia," Mr Kucera said.
Media Contact: Fran Robb 9213 7000
