Karratha Health Campus to open on September 19

After four long years of development and the public waiting, the Karratha Health Campus will finally open its doors on September 19th. This hospital cost $207.15 million, and is the biggest health development in the history of the regional WA area.

On opening day, the new hospital’s emergency department will be opened and patients will be transported from Nickol Bay Hospital. There are many amenities to this new hospital as well, making it one of the best in the area.

Karratha Health Campus will include a helipad for incoming and departing emergency patients, a maternity wing that will include suites for birthing, a surgical centre, telehealth services, child health clinics, an expanded emergency department, and so much more.

This hospital is large, and very aesthetically pleasing in many different ways. There are different pieces of artwork displayed on the walls throughout the hospital and plenty of windows that allow natural light to travel in. This will create a more modern feel, and potentially make Karratha residents more comfortable during their stay and while visiting.

Last Saturday, individuals from the public were allowed to tour the hospital and provide feedback, most of which was positive. The opening of the hospital will start a three day process of transferring equipment, staff, and patients from Nickol Bay Hospital. At 8am on the 19th, Nickol Bay will become closer to the public and they will not accept new patients.

Health Minister Roger Cook believes that this new facility will be an upgrade to the public and offer premium technology and different healthcare amenities. “I recently visited Karratha and toured the hospital; it’s opening offers an exciting new chapter for the local community. It’s a stunning place for us to deliver world class health care to the residents of the Pilbara.” He said.

Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan believes this will help transform Karratha to a modern regional city, rather than a small mining town. He also had positive things to say about the new health care facility.

“Providing access to quality health care facilities and services is critical to creating strong regional communities in which people choose to live and raise a family. The Karratha Health Campus is a hospital for the future with state of the art health facilities such as telehealth, which will bring specialist health care closer to home for people living in the West Pilbara.” She said.

This new health campus will be a great thing for the community. Not only will it provide more jobs, it offers better health care services for the community as well. It has specialised areas, such as their imaging suites, an expanded unit for outpatients, and the delivery suites in the maternity wing.

With the expanded emergency department, they will be able to accommodate more people. The layout, artwork, and natural light throughout the building will also provide a more comfortable atmosphere and feel less like a hospital to some people.

Overall, this is a great development for the area and has been worth the four year wait. It will help the community grow as well and be seen as more than a simple small town. People will be able to receive the care they need closer to home.