$76m to help health catch up: Roxon

Dr Coralee Barker, Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon and Kirsten Livermore face the media at Rockhampton Hospital yesterday.

Chris Ison CI20/0509/3

ROCKHAMPTON Hospital is preparing for the possible arrival of swine flu as a seventh person was yesterday confirmed with the disease as it spreads across Australia.

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon yesterday warned no region was immune from the disease.

Queensland Health has stepped up surveillance at all of its hospitals, including Rockhampton's, as well as at general practitioner clinics and laboratories.

Plans are in place across Central Queensland to manage any case that may develop.

Speaking in Rockhampton, Ms Roxon said authorities had been preparing across the country for some time.

“I think when you look at how it has spread across the world it would be hard to rule any area out,” Ms Roxon said.

“This is a novel disease and we are concerned about how it will spread.

“We have now got some advice that there are probably some increased risks when it is combined with the flu season that Australia is heading into.”

But she said there was no cause for alarm.

“This is a disease that has been treatable,” Ms Roxon said.

She was in Rockhampton to tour the city's hospital and see first hand how the $76 million the Commonwealth Government announced in last week's budget would improve the facility's health services.

“I'm delighted; this means a region with a large population where the hospital has been outgrown by the community can have an investment that will change the face of services,” Ms Roxon said.

She said combined with the Queensland Government's near $75 million upgrade, the hospital was being transformed.

“We currently have about 100 people working on the site and at its peak with the Commonwealth investment there will be about 200 construction jobs here,” Ms Roxon said.

“It's been a delight to see how the building project will be able to expand.

“This is a good news story.”

She said clever planning meant the hospital had scope for future expansion on top of the committed funds.

The funding has delighted Central Queensland Health Service District chief executive Dr Coralee Barker.

“We are quite jazzed by all this... ecstatic,” Dr Barker said.

“We are looking at more beds, which has been a big issue for us.”

She said future planning meant the hospital could be further developed by going higher.