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.
So, if they hadn't prepared would you criticise the government for not preparing? Give me a break from your anti-Andrews campaign!
This “report” hasn’t aged well... what a terrible idea to have icu capacity
That’s cause there’s no emergency here
What a stupid report? It’s there for back up if we need it
Come on Vic Gov use these empty facilities so other hospitals not overloaded with coronavirus cases! 🤨😏
How is this bad? Do we want more people in hospital or do we want to not be prepared?
You...you guys know this is a *good* thing yeah? 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
so? what's wrong with being prepared? if it needs to be used, it will be
It’s that good !!
You can't put something like this up overnight. Having the foresight to see it MIGHT be needed and refitting it is far better than discovering it WAS needed, and not have it.
It isn’t over yet by a long shot. But atm we are victims of success in Australia so not a bad place to be. Let’s hope we can keep it that way esp in Vic. I’m puzzled at the Dan’d if you do and Dan’d if you don’t attitude of many in the media
auspol So Vic is prepared if current surge continues, how is this a negative. As subscriber confused by this logic. Y’day’s experience in NSW of long delays 4 testing at XRoads pub & lack of contact details taken at pub so worrying after NSW has watched Vic experience
Australian journalists: Hoping people get sick to own Dan Andrews.
Great work Dan Andrews. Has COVID under wraps.
So, Andrews is very well prepared. Bravo Dan
And the story is...? What?
I’d prefer to have a large unused intensive care facility then have doctors telling us there’s no space available, please go home to die. And I know that’s extreme. But it’s currently a reality in some places.
Straight out of Yes Minister. Episode there had a brand new hospital but no patients. Again, govt responsibility. Buck stops with you, Premier Andrews. You’ll hand over a fucked and ruined state to a new government who may be dreading 2022.
That's great - let's keep it empty.
Umm, maybe because we don't need the intensive care beds yet. Thank heavens. Your reporters have really dumbed themselves down haven't they.
Holy balls the government spent money on a hospital during a global pandemic. What is the world coming to?
The Coronavirus will be around until such time as we have an effective vaccine and even then we still need people to take it. Let’s hope we never need this valuable resource but if we do, I’m glad we have it.
That's because 'CASES' doesn't mean people who are sick. The media needs to stop pushing the fear narrative. stopthehysteria
Getting sick of the unnecessarily alarmist and sensationalist headlines has been producing lately, I will be unsubscribing if they keep this (tabloid-low) standard going much longer 😡
And it will remain empty just like our hospitals.... and I know because I work in them
It's for the wealthy
broomstick33 Good
So...?
Australian journalism really needs to lift the bar.
What is the point of this report? Are you seriously wishing these emergency units are full?
This is why I don’t subscribe to your paper! Try and do better Melb does need at least one newspaper!
This shows the stupidity of your newspaper, maybe go and do some actually research for a change and find out what a pandemic is. You might be grateful for those empty beds, you or your family might need one if you don't become more responsible with your commentary.
Good
What an imbecilic article. What’s the point of it? You’re disappointed it’s not filled with critically ill people
Keep it empty. Keep us health workers safe!
Good! Keep it like that
Why biuld it if we have no need for it dickhead dan cases are rising but so are recovering cases
Um...PREPARATION!!!! Fuck the Age is shithouse nowadays. To think I used to actually buy it!
despite a huge surge in coronavirus infections across Melbourne: You do realize that there is a time lag from getting infected to getting sick enough to require ICU. Would it make you happy if we weren't prepared?
The Age used to be a fantastic newspaper. But that was a long time ago.
Must be the stupidest possible take on this.
Seriously? Let’s hope they’re not needed🙄 FFS isn’t preparation the appropriate thing to do. IStandWithDan because he just can’t win!
broomstick33 “we survived one crash, all seatbelts and airbags are clearly unnecessary”
“Thank goodness” should probably have started that headline! come on we are all tired of your unrelenting negative spin. “Were all in this together”
And hopefully it remains so
Would you be complaining if our bushfire safe places went unused year after year? springst
That’s good.
Why DanielAndrewsMP Why Melbourne TheDrum Covid_19 coronavirus victorialockdown
Headlines like these are so damaging! We are at a crucial time in VIC and things can go pear shape very quickly if people don’t follow the rules. Sounds almost like inviting people to get more complacent!
That’s a good thing
It’s not needed......... YET
I would hope a hospital which specialises in cancer treatments would be the last option for an ICU bed.
If people continue to ignore the rules it may soon be in use.
Damned if you do philosophy on display Keep digging your political prejudice during this pandemic Doesn't dare help the public with real issues
If that ‘makeshift’ ICU hadn’t been built and the standard ICU capacity had been reached, who do you think would be screaming bloody murder about Andrews’ failure? Also, it reads like they’re actually disappointed that the ICU’s are not teeming with gasping patients.. no VFM.
Why are you upset more people aren’t dying.... WTF is wrong with you...
Isn't that a GOOD thing? springst
Hopefully it stays empty.
C’mon The Age you know you can do better than this sort of trash reporting.
still a long way to go though.
And the point is?
Pretty sure that's a good thing. 🙄
Stop looking for gotcha stories. Try and help by spreading positivity. I don’t recognise the the age anymore.
It will probably be in use all too soon.
It's not much of a pandemic, is it.
C’mon Melb, the Age wants more of us in Intensive Care....do your duty, get out there & breathe over everyone you see, if you can manage to sneeze & cough, that’s a bonus! Imagine being upset that people aren’t on ventilators & dying? fuckwits
So fucking what?
This is good news!!
Slow news day AGAIN. If we didn’t have enough beds then they would’ve slammed the government for not being prepared. Because they have unused beds ‘it’s a waste of money/space’. The Age has gone downhill since they were purchased by Chan 9. Lucky I cancelled my subscription.
Have to keep it empty for corona patients, the rest can wait till the vaccine arrives!
Awesome! This great news!!
What the hell is this article? It reads as critical that the ICU capacity was increased. 1) Imagine if we HADN'T prepared for that and needed it. 2) We might still need it?
In a month when it’s full you’ll be writing an article on how the Victorian Government wasn’t prepared. This is why I hate the media.
That's a good thing, right? Hospital ICUs are not overflowing.
Oh no, we don’t have enough sick and dying people to fill a hospital, damn you Dan, what were you thinking...IStandwithDan
What's your point?
And your point is What don’t be prepared Odd story to headline Expect better from the Age
Stop muckraking against preparedness
I’m confused. You’re upset more people aren’t sick in hospital? This is a fail how?
Apologies not enough people are getting sick for you. Better to be prepared and not need it.
30 million here, 87 million there, a couple of billion out the back... must be great fun to work in politics and throw money around without a care!
The age grubs at it again - its meant to be an overflow for emergencies. Stop printing LIES
There is no huge surge, jesus wept the AGE has really jumped the shark.
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