Media Release: NEW PATIENT MONITORS FOR MONASH

FROM THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH

DATE: Tuesday, March 1, 2005

NEW PATIENT MONITORS FOR MONASH

The Monash Medical Centre will receive more than $720,000 worth of new medical equipment as part of a Bracks Government program, the Health Minister, Bronwyn Pike announced today.

Visiting the MMC Clayton campus to announce the funding, Ms Pike said it was part of a $17 million package for public hospitals around the State to buy much-needed medical equipment such as patient monitoring and diagnostic devices.

Ms Pike announced the extra funding while inspecting a range of intensive care unit patient monitors which the hospital purchased with a $590,240 Bracks Government grant received last year.

Monash Medical Centre will use this year’s grants to buy a physiological monitoring system and telemetry system for the Coronary Care Unit, including bedside monitors, transport monitors and accessories.

It will also buy pulse oximeters and spend $60,000 on diathermy machines with plume evacuators.

Ms Pike said this year’s grants included ‘big-ticket’ pieces of equipment that would improve the quality of care and help meet the growth in patient demand.

“Victorian hospitals need to stay abreast of developments in medical science and technology to ensure that they continue to provide the best possible care to patients,” Ms Pike said.

“Government funding enables hospitals to purchase the latest equipment to take advantage of advances in medical technology, and to allow them to be more efficient and cater for greater patient demand.”

Ms Pike said the Bracks Government was rebuilding the public hospital system with a capital upgrade program and the development of a longer-term equipment funding strategy.