Daniel Andrews promises $1.5billion to rebuild Maroondah Hospital if Labor win next election

Daniel Andrews’s government will invest $1.5 billion to rebuild a major hospital and rename it in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The premier announced on Sunday the money would be spent on improving the Maroondah Hospital, in Melbourne’s east, if Labor wins the next election.

The Liberal opposition a day earlier pledged $400 million if it was voted into power.

Queen Elizabeth holds a special place in the hearts of Victorians,’ Mr Andrews said.

‘A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will rebuild and expand Maroondah Hospital before renaming it in Her Majesty’s honour.’

The premier announced on Sunday the money would be spent on improving the Maroondah Hospital, in Melbourne’s east, if Labor wins the next election

The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital would boast  new operating theatres, day procedure facilities and specialist care spaces.

A larger medical imaging unit and a new emergency department would also be included in the rebuild.

Two six-storey in-patient towers will also be constructed and have the room to hold an additional 200 beds and 9,000 more patients would be able to be treated. 

‘The whole hospital is essentially being rebuilt,’ Mr Andrews said. 

The rebuild is expected to cost $1.5 billion and begin in 2025 before finishing in 2029, with 2,500 jobs created by the major upgrade.

Mr Andrews slammed the $400 million pledge by the opposition as too small.

‘That’s why we’re going to build the Queen Elizabeth II hospital for what it costs — more than a billion dollars,’ he said.

‘They didn’t really make a commitment to revamp Maroondah, they made a commitment to half do-it.

‘Queen Elizabeth holds a special place in the hearts of Victorians,’ Mr Andrews said

‘(The opposition is) not particularly relevant to what we’re announcing today and they showed that with the absolute inadequacy of the commitments that they made yesterday.’

Under the opposition’s promise, the new hospital will include big-ticket items such as a new emergency department, ICU and critical care unit, an enhanced cancer centre, extra operating suites and a bigger staff car park.

Details of the refurbishment and expansion will be worked through with the hospital’s operator Eastern Health and the local community.

‘We’re going to increase the capacity here by another 100 beds, so take that up to over 420 beds,’ opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said on Saturday.

‘That will include capacity to improve the mental health services, intensive care, general surgical (and) general medical capacity in this hospital.’