Arabic version: الجناح الجديد في مستشفى رويال داروين يستقبل أول مرضاه
According to ABC News, a new $23.95 million multi-purpose ward at Royal Darwin Hospital has received its first patients, with the Northern Territory government expecting all 32 beds in Ward 1C to be available by the end of September.
NT Health Minister Steve Edgington said 13 patients were receiving care in the ward. The facility was designed to treat bariatric, renal and general medical patients, while its flexible layout allows for cardiac monitoring, extra isolation capacity, bariatric accommodation and additional space for people experiencing cognitive impairment.
The ward was announced by the former Territory Labor government in 2023 as a response to sustained demand and overcrowding at the ageing hospital. Since January, Darwin and Palmerston hospitals have called six code yellows, which trigger emergency procedures during extraordinary patient demand. The latest code yellow ran for weeks from July into August.
During that emergency, NT Health acting chief executive Susan Bowden called for almost 60 qualified non-frontline workers to return to hospital floors. She said more than 30 staff had accepted the request, which was intended to help staff take breaks during a busy period.
Mr Edgington said a 24-bed mental health facility would open soon and, together with Ward 1C, was expected to ease pressure across the hospital. He also said the government was preparing work for a $10 million Commonwealth-funded maternity ward upgrade, although some planned improvements may not be covered after an original $35 million funding request was rejected.
