Thursday, 9 September 2021

 Mr DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh) (6007)

I wish to raise a matter for the Minister for Health.

The action that I seek is for the minister to join with me for a visit to the site of the new Victorian Heart Hospital in Clayton when time permits and when it is safe to do so.

As the minister knows well, this heart hospital will be the first of its kind in Australia. It is a hallmark of this government’s commitment to advanced, state-of-the-art health care. With over 200 beds, it will become both a leading treatment and importantly a teaching hospital.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. Making hospitals like this a priority is so important to ensuring advanced treatment and preventative health measures.

I have passed by the construction of this hospital on Blackburn Road many times over the last year—despite all the challenges with COVID it has been taking shape at an alarming speed. It looks amazing already.

We have such incredible health services and brilliant medical staff in and around Clayton, with the Monash Medical Centre and the Monash Children’s Hospital. This area is also Victoria’s premier research and innovation hub. Much of the work in this area is dedicated to world-leading health research, so this hospital will add strength to Victoria both nationally and on the world stage.

My community has shown a great enthusiasm for this new hospital. I’ve had so many conversations and messages about this and enormous support and thanks when I post about this on social media. I know that the completion of this hospital scheduled for next year will be a huge boost for our community, and all of Victoria.

Again, I thank the minister for his work, especially over the last year where the challenges in health care have been and continue to be immense. I therefore appreciate any time he may have in the future to see the great work underway at the Victorian Heart Hospital.