A new state of the art Paediatric Intensive Care unit has been officially opened this morning at the John Hunter Children's Hospital.
The $14-million unit features 8 dedicated beds to provide intensive care treatment to around 350 seriously ill babies from the Hunter to the Queensland border each year.
Each room also has space for parents to stay overnight with their sick children and there's also a separate family/parent room for quiet time.
The new facility means seriously ill babies no longer have to be transported to Sydney for ICU treatment.
The Hospital's Acting Director of Intensive Care, Dr Jorge Brieva says it means young children won't have to share I.C.U facilities with adults which can make the experience more traumatic for them.
"..and that created some stressful and intense situations for families - very difficult at the time when the kids are sick to have to deal with a unit that also looks after more than 1700 patients in the area. So, now we have a dedicated physical space which is more intimate and more private for them," he said.
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| Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Dr Jorge Brieva |
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| Front Desk Reception At The New Paediatric ICU |
