A makeshift intensive care unit built at the former Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in East Melbourne remains empty despite a huge surge in coronavirus infections across Melbourne.
The $30 million refurbishment, which includes 84 beds over eight floors, was completed on May 20 after builders worked around the clock as part of the Andrews government's "accelerated program" to combat COVID-19.Despite the facility remaining empty, Premier Daniel Andrews last week described the project as a "no-regret spend" and said there were "a lot of different things we can do with that space".
Dr Stephen Warrillow, who sits on the board of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society, said the predicted surge of critically ill coronavirus patients should be admitted into well-established intensive care units at hospitals, ahead of "novel solutions". When asked about several health projects commissioned by the government to expand the state’s capacity to fight the pandemic that have been cancelled, are over-budget or are not ready to deal with the surge in infections, Dr Warrillow said it was "easy to be critical in hindsight".
In 2017 the Andrews government had proposed selling the East Melbourne site that was occupied by the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre until 2016.
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