Chloe Dean, Anne Egan, Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor and Member for Monaro Nichole Overall cut the ribbon to officially open the new Cooma maternity department. Photo: Gail Eastaway.
Families from across the Snowy Monaro will benefit from enhanced maternity facilities following the official opening of Cooma Hospital’s new maternity department.
Minister for Regional Health and Women Bronnie Taylor and Member for Monaro Nichole Overall joined local health workers to declare the unit open. The facility brings the $24 million Cooma Hospital Redevelopment one step closer to completion.
In a fitting tribute to the late Dr Andrew Egan, who delivered thousands of babies in Cooma Hospital over his career, one of the new rooms will be named the Dr Andrew Egan Birthing Complex.
Mrs Overall said the new unit was another example of top-class maternity facilities in the Monaro.
“The location of the department has improved connections between a range of departments, including emergency and operating theatres, ensuring our excellent maternity staff here in Cooma can continue to provide outstanding care for new parents and families,” she said.
“This comes in addition to the new, recently opened emergency department, $700,000 CT scanner and life-saving telestroke facilities.”
Mrs Taylor said the opening of the new maternity department at Cooma Hospital was about ensuring mums and their new babies could access the health care they needed, closer to home.
“As a registered nurse who spent most of my career working here at Cooma Hospital, today is such an exciting day for our community, and I am so thrilled to see the new maternity unit and emergency department now complete,” she said.
“The new maternity unit boasts high-quality, modern facilities in well-equipped rooms, filled with natural light. One of the two new birthing rooms includes a new birthing bath, which will provide women with more choice during the delivery of their baby.”
Work to deliver a new ambulatory care centre, including refurbishment of the pathology service and an expansion of the medical imaging department, is also underway and expected to be completed this year.
The Cooma Hospital redevelopment is part of the NSW Government’s record $11.9 billion investment in health infrastructure over four years to 2025-26, with nearly one-third of the capital allocation in this financial year going towards regional and rural health facilities.
Since 2011, the NSW Government has delivered more than 180 health capital works projects across NSW, with more than 130 projects currently underway – of those, more than 90 are in rural and regional areas.
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