Left: It is a real family affair in the paediatric ward at Casey Hospital. Trevor Forster, nurse unit manager Liz Brown and Fiona Kalagunge with her children, twoyearold Aaheeka and 11weekold Odaisha. CASEY Hospital has expanded its paediatric services.
From last Monday the 10bed paediatric ward became a 24hour operation to accommodate patients having lowrisk medical and surgical procedures that require several nights’ stay.
More nursing staff will be recruited to cope with the expected increase in paediatric patient numbers.
Since opening last year, Casey Hospital has treated more than 4000 children with about onethird of all those who present to Casey Hospital’s Emergency Department children.
The expansion of ward services will mean more lowrisk paediatric patients will be managed at Casey Hospital where, in the past, patients were transferred to other institutions, including Monash Medical Centre and Dandenong Hospital.
Casey Hospital Executive Director Peter Faulkner said the hospital’s increase in paediatric services was in line with the needs of the surrounding area.
“Since the hospital opened last year, we have been progressively increasing our services to meet the needs of this evergrowing community,” Mr Faulkner said.
“The expansion of our paediatric services is an important one and will have a significant impact upon the growing number of young families in Melbourne’s south east corridor.”
