Hospital patients requiring low levels of care could be housed at the Mickleham quarantine centre under a proposal from the state opposition.
The opposition has pledged to investigate repurposing 250 beds at the Donnybrook Road centre to help address the state’s healthcare problems.
In a statement, the opposition said a section of the centre could be used to accommodate low-care needs patients who would prefer to receive their support and treatment away from a busy hospital ward.
Under this plan, transfer would only occur with the full consent of patients and would be limited to those who no longer require acute hospital care but are awaiting transfer to longer term accommodation and the support of Australian Defence Force personnel would be sought to help staff and operate this facility.
Opposition leader Matt Guy said it didn’t make sense to leave the quarantine centre sitting empty.
“We need to take advantage of this facility which in a short period of time could be used to accommodate hundreds of willing patients who no longer require acute hospital care and would be more comfortable in a setting with full support whilst they await placement into aged care or special accommodation,” he said.
Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the plan was about giving patients choice and supporting additional capacity within the hospital system.
“Many patients awaiting transfer to longer term accommodation would be more comfortable in Mickleham being appropriately supported than remaining in a busy hospital ward,” she said.
“This plan is about giving patients choice and being supported whilst they await appropriate accommodation. It’s something that could be done immediately to free up some hospital beds and allow more Victorians to be treated in our hospital system.”
Liberal candidate for Northern Metropolitan Region Evan Mulholland questioned why the facility was sitting empty when the healthcare system was struggling to keep pace with demand.
“This $580 million facility is sitting virtually idle under Labor, costing taxpayers $1.5 million per week to operate and out of 1000 beds, just 34 were being used as of Friday,” he said.
“It makes absolutely no sense we’ve got empty beds here in Mickleham, while there is a health crisis in the northern suburbs.”
