From left: Melissa Combardo, Narre Warren South MP Dale Wilson, Brianna Pobie, Cranbourne MP Jude Perera, the Minister for Health Bronwyn Pike, and Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato.By Jim Mynard
CASEY Hospital now has a 24hour a day, seven days a week emergency service.
The Minister for Health, Bronwyn Pike, said the service, which started on Monday, would provide urgent care closer to home for people in the region.
“With a maximum 100 patients going through the emergency doors at Casey Hospital a day, the time is right to expand the services this hospital can offer to the growing Casey and Cardinia communities,” Ms Pike said.
“This emergency department has been responding to the needs of families, gradually increasing its operating hours.
“Now it is in a great position to provide vital care whenever it is needed.
“Thanks to a strong statewide effort to recruit and retain nurses in our public hospitals, Casey now has a 54strong nursing staff, plus 30 medical experts to operate its emergency department day and night.”
Ms Pike said that since it opened in September last year, Casey Hospital had been adding more to its range of patient care, with emergency services starting up in March from 8am to 8pm, extending to 9pm in August.
“The expanded hours will give Casey Hospital the capacity to help more than its current average of 60 emergency patients a day, which in turn will help patients attending Dandenong Hospital’s emergency department.
“Dandenong sees an average of 130 patients per day.”
