Queensland Government seeks help with private hospital at Kawana

By Candy Lashkari

The Queensland Government is looking for financial assistance and more practical help to operate a private hospital at Kawana, which is to be collocated with the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. The private hospital is expected to be functional by 2013, which is three years before the $1.6 billion Sunshine Coast University Hospital precinct is due to be finished.

Health Minister Paul Lucas has called for expressions of interest for the construction of the private hospital at Kawana today. He is expected to release more details on the visit to the site about the project. The state government hopes to purchase 70 public beds from the new private hospital initially in 2012 before expanding the number to 110 eventually the following year.

The Sunshine Coast University Hospital is expected to have 450 overnight beds by 2016. It is also expected to provide specialist clinical services and be able to expand to 650 beds if the need arises. The 20 hectare site where the Sunshine Coast University Hospital is expected to come up is on the southern side of the Kawana Way and Lake Kawana Boulevard intersection.

The private hospital is to take on some of the load that the Sunshine Coast University Hospital is going to expect.