Ballarat Health Service's new ward 3 south is expected to open in August or September, according to state health minister Jenny Mikakos.
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Responding to a question asked during question time in state parliament this week, Ms Mikakos said the ward would open within months.
In April, Ballarat Health Services director of acute operations Ben Kelly announced to staff that ward 3 South would open for patient admissions.
"Ballarat Health Services plans that the new ward will be operational prior to the peak winter period which ... occurs throughout August and September each year," she wrote in response to the question without notice.
"The health service is currently installing equipment and undertaking staff recruitment to expand ward based services for patient care on ward 3 South."
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At the time of the new ward announcement, Mr Kelly said the area was proposed to be a 20-bed general medicine ward that will take emergency admissions, medical and surgical patients.
The extra bed capacity would help meed demand to transfer patients from the emergency department during the winter peak period.
Ms Mikakos said the government had provided BHS with $297.8 million in 2018-19, which is $72.8 million or almost 33 per cent more than in 2014-15.
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