Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk has today turned the first sod on the new Tugun Satellite Hospital in what is set to be a major expansion of health infrastructure on the Gold Coast.
The Premier said the new Tugun Satellite Hospital would bring more health services closer to home for Gold Coast residents.
“My government is investing a record amount to build more health facilities, including on the Gold Coast,” the Premier said.
“The new Tugun Satellite Hospital will provide a wide range of health services to the local community, where they need them.
“It will focus on early intervention and day therapy services, helping to tackle the record demand in the Gold Coast’s busy public hospitals.
She said construction of the new Tugun Satellite Hospital would also create 100 jobs in the process.
Queensland Health Minister, Yvette D’Ath said the Tugun Satellite Hospital site at 57 Boyd Street would be one of seven Satellite Hospitals to be opened across the south-east.
“All seven have been chosen to provide better access to healthcare for local communities, in convenient settings, without having to travel to major hospitals for care,” Minister D’Ath said.
“These Satellite Hospitals are expected to ease our busy emergency departments from treating minor ailments, so they can focus on emergencies.”
In addition to improving health outcomes, Minister for Public Works, Mick de Brenni said the Government’s Satellite Hospitals Program would deliver important economic returns.
“More than its already huge contribution to the health sector, these Satellite Hospitals are a boon for the local economies and will boost indirect spending at retail outlets and restaurants as well as labour income,” Mr de Brenni said.
“The Satellite Hospitals Program will support up to 773 jobs over the program’s lifetime, and we’ll continue to work with the managing contractor Hutchinson Builders to ensure this project and six others are built by locals, for locals for the good of the local economy.”
