Rotorua Hospital gets $1.7m for upgrades to protect non-Covid patients

Rotorua Hospital. Photo / Andrew Warner

Around $1.7 million will be spent upgrading Rotorua Hospital facilities next year.

A media release issued by Health Minister Andrew Little said the upgrades would ensure non-Covid patients were safe while those with Covid-19 were being treated.

$664 million from the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund has been allocated as part of a nationwide roll-out which will see 36 upgrades at 24 local hospitals.

At Lakes District Health Board the $1.756 million will be used to recommission more than 20 unused ward beds, introducing negative pressure rooms in the birthing, children's and mental health units and converting office area for "decanting from medical unit".

Little said with high vaccination rates and better treatments and prevention methods, the Government was shifting to "better support planned and routine care while also safely caring for Covid patients".

"Treating Covid patients can be disruptive to other treatment as additional precautions are taken for infection prevention and control.

"We asked Lakes DHB to prioritise projects that would strengthen local hospitals to provide planned and routine care in the age of Covid-19."

Some projects would be completed as early as March, he said.

He said the previous National Government "left a legacy of massive underinvestment in health infrastructure, including the intensive care unit".

"For two whole years National didn't invest a single cent in health infrastructure, despite a growing and ageing population. By contrast, the Labour Government has already put $6 billion into health infrastructure."