Mercy’s day facility nearly ready to go

Construction of Mercy Hospital’s $7.5million Day Stay facility is nearing completion. Photos by...
Construction of Mercy Hospital’s $7.5million Day Stay facility is nearing completion. Photos by David Beck
Carpenters Mason Grubb (left) and Jason Oats work on Mercy Hospital’s new Day Stay facility.
Carpenters Mason Grubb (left) and Jason Oats work on Mercy Hospital’s new Day Stay facility.

After eight months of construction, Mercy Hospital's new $7.5million Day Stay facility is nearing completion.

Construction began in late September and, once completed, the stand-alone facility will be used for day surgical procedures and cancer services.

Mercy Hospital chief executive Richard Whitney said he expected contractors working on the building to be finished in mid-June, and the facility to be ready for use in mid-July.

"It is effectively increasing our capacity over all aspects of surgery. Approximately 1400 procedures undertaken in our main theatre will be transferred to this new facility,'' Mr Whitney said.

"Not only will we have capacity in the new facility to do more than that, we will have more capacity in our existing facility.''

"There will be a combination of some existing staff, we have recruited three staff, and we are in the process of recruiting additional staff.''

Construction of the new building was started in response to an "ever-increasing'' demand for day facilities.

"Having facilities that are purpose-built to be efficient and cost-effective in delivering those sorts of services is important,'' he said.

"There was also an opportunity to provide better cancer care with a purpose-built facility, to ensure we deliver the very best care to that stream of activity,'' Mr Whitney said.

The facility would have two day procedure rooms and recovery areas, consultation and staff facilities, a new home for the cancer care unit, and state-of-the-art equipment.

"Everything that's in there is new.''

It would also provide a base for the provision of gastroscopy, colonoscopy, ophthalmology and other procedures that were becoming more important to an ageing population, he said.

Mr Whitney was happy with the construction process.

"It's built to importance level four, which is effectively sustainable for about an eight Richter scale hit.

"Part of the reason for building it to that level is so we can honour our civil defence obligations post an event. We would see that building survive where the majority of others in Dunedin would not. We were very deliberate about that.''

 

 

 


 

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