BLOOMFIELD Medical Centre is on track to have the first patients undergoing surgery by August after Orange City Council granted approval to fit out the operating theatres and ward levels.
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The two development applications, valued at $4.9 million and $4.1 million respectively, will cover seven operating theatres on level four of the hospital building and 34 single bed wards on level three, plus associated support spaces and facilities.
Orange Surgery Centre, currently based in McNamara Street, and Nexus Hospitals have partnered to manage the two levels.
Nexus already manages Insight Private Hospital at the Gardens Medical Centre, the model Bloomfield is based on.
Zauner Construction director Garry Zauner said the fitout would start immediately.
"Since it was approved, we got the design finalisation happening so in a month's time, we will see stuff everywhere," he said.
Despite initial hopes to have the first operations under way by Easter, Mr Zauner was not concerned by the delay.
"We went from one floor to two and four theatres to seven so the main thing was to get it right," he said.
"I would rather get it right rather than rush it through construction - we're obviously fighting hard to get it in for the first quarter of [the 2021 financial year], we're hoping to have it done by the first of August."
Mr Zauner said the exterior of the medi-motel, which will allow non-critical patients to recover in a more comfortable setting, was nearing completion and the medical centre only had 300 square metres left to lease.
Both applications passed unanimously with no debate on Tuesday, however councillor Russell Turner noted more than 70 per cent of the building was now let.
Mayor Reg Kidd said he had never seen a building go up faster than the medi-motel.
"I drove past one day and it wasn't there and the next time I drove past it was wall-to-wall," he said.
Councillor Jeff Whitton joked the beautiful views from the operating theatres might be a distraction for the surgeons operating.
"They're to be commended, it's a wonderful building," he said.
The GP clinic on level two is already open and operating, as is Cafe Bloom on the ground floor.
The Terry White Chemist will open in May.
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