Work is under way to ensure the three-storey “clinical tower” to be constructed on the south-east corner of the Dubbo Hospital campus from next year never loses power.
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The building will go up under stage four redevelopment and accommodate a new emergency department, medical imaging unit, critical care floor and renal dialysis unit.
Recent visitors to the hospital campus will have noticed the erection of fences and workmen on its south-west corner.
This week Health Infrastructure (HI) explained the activity when providing a progress report on construction of a third floor on the hospital’s existing clinical services building, the focus of stage three redevelopment.
“Work has also begun in the south-west corner of the campus to install a new substation and electrical building to support the expansion and upgrade of hospital services,” a HI spokeswoman said.
“The substation includes a diesel-powered generator to provide power to the stage four redevelopment in the unlikely event of a loss of electrical grid supply.”
The spokeswoman again reported that stage three redevelopment was making “steady progress”.
“Construction is well under way on the new in-patient unit on top of the clinical services building,” she said.
“The new in-patient unit is scheduled to be complete in early 2018 and will be followed by early works for the new three-storey clinical tower.”
The early works will include the demolition of the George Hatch building.
The existing clinical services building was the showpiece of stages one and two redevelopment costing $91.3 million.
It is a surgical and birthing hub for the region.
Hansen Yuncken won the stage three redevelopment tender to build its third floor that may become a surgical inpatient unit of 34 beds in single and double rooms.
The company has also been revamping the old maternity ward to accommodate medical records and administration services.
The HI spokeswoman said the refurbishment of the unit was “almost complete” and that it had been named after the late Dr Ian Locke, the first paediatrician to work in Dubbo.
The state government is spending $150 million on stage three and four redevelopment.