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By Bridie Byrne

9th February 2010 11:05:20 AM

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More facilities … New mum Kirsty Ryan with her son Xavier-Lee at Werribee Mercy Hospital. 42414

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A LONG-awaited procedure to the Werribee Mercy Hospital’s maternity services is underway.

Health Minister Daniel Andrews turned a sod to start the building works on the $14 million expansion last week in an attempt to meet the growing demand on Werribee’s busy maternity ward.

“The expansion includes eight additional obstetric beds and four extra special care nursery cots,” he said.

“It’s a significant increase that will greatly improve access to specialist maternity services for the rapidly growing community in the outer western suburbs, and enable more women to give birth locally.”

Mr Andrews said the special care nursery expansion would reduce the need to transfer newborn babies requiring extra care to other major hospitals.

“It will also allow babies with extra needs born at other hospitals to move closer to home, sooner to be with their mothers,” he said.

The number of births per year at Werribee Mercy Hospital is expected to increase from 1740 in 2008-09 to 2692 in 2016 after the expansion is complete.

Mr Andrews said the project would be delivered in two phases, with the post-natal unit expected to be finished later this year, followed by the special care nursery in mid 2011.

The project is set to create more than 80 jobs in design and construction.

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