A funding boost will help Ballarat Health Services fight the flu this winter, following a horror flu season in Victoria last year.
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Member for Wendouree Sharon Knight announced $1.8 million funding for Ballarat Health Services on Sunday.
The boost for Ballarat is part of a $50 million commitment from the 2018/19 Victorian Budget to help hospitals open more beds, hire more doctors and nurses, and treat more patients statewide.
Victorians experienced one of the worst flu seasons on record in 2017, with more than 48,000 confirmed cases of influenza and a record number of people presenting to emergency departments each day.
Elective surgeries were put on hold and adult patients shared space with the children’s ward as the flu wreaked havoc at the Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital last year.
The hospital reported a 45 to 49 per cent increase in patients with flu-like symptoms.
The $1.8 million funding will allow the hospital to address winter demands to best suit community needs. Changes may include putting on more doctors and nurses, or opening more beds to treat more patients.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy said Ballarat Health Services was one of 17 of Victoria’s largest health services to receive extra funding to plan ahead of winter.
“Our doctors, nurses and paramedics did a remarkable job last winter in the face of unprecedented demand. This year, we’re making sure they have the pre-winter funding boost they need to get ahead of the game,” she said.
The Victorian government is also providing $3.5 million to provide free flu shots for Victorian children aged six months up to five years, available from May 2018.