New children's ward open

St John of God Murdoch Hospital has opened a new children’s ward to better meet the needs of families who live south of the river.

17 Nov 2017

Chief Executive Officer Ben Edwards said the hospital’s existing children’s ward was too small to handle the demand for children’s health care in the region.

“Many families from the south are travelling north of the river to access surgery for their babies, children and adolescents,” Mr Edwards said.

“We already have fantastic paediatric surgeons and anaesthetists and nursing staff so with bigger and better facilities, we will be able to provide excellent clinical care and support to more children and families in our community.”

The new ward will provide specialised paediatric surgical care to babies from 0 days old, children and adolescents under the age of 18, including ear, nose and throat (ENT), general surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, gastroenterology and urology.

It will also be equipped with virtual reality goggles to help alleviate children’s anxiety and provide entertainment when they visit the hospital, as well as bright contemporary artwork by Australian artists that will hang throughout the ward.

ENT surgeon George Sim said the new ward was a very welcome addition to the hospital’s services.

“This will be a really wonderful convenience for families who live nearby and a great addition to the specialties St John of God Murdoch Hospital provides its patients,” Mr Sim said.

“The hospital will be able to provide a very comfortable environment for the children and support for their families as we understand hospital stays can be stressful at times.”