心脏医院预算的大缺口

上週公佈的消息得知，Andrews政府为了弥补心脏医院项目的预算缺口，将纳税人投入的资本从 1.5亿大幅增加至 6 亿澳币。

心脏医院项目本应建设在莫纳什医疗中心 (Monash Medical Centre) 旁，如此便可提高资源利用，共享现有基础设施， 使同时有心脏病与其他病症患者享有便利有效的治疗。

然则，政府坚持心脏医院独立建设的医院设计，此等做法需大量投入建设医院基础设施，对于病患的服务与便利性亦大幅降低。

很不幸的是，事件再一次表明， Andrews 先生忽视专家意见、好大喜功、华而不实，坚持像是高架铁路线 (SkyRail)、西部隧道 (Westgate Tunnel) 这类设计昂贵又有缺陷的项目，却取消有如 Peter Mac 私人癌症医院和东西环线 (East West Link) 此等迫切需要的计划。

英文版/English version

Big hole in heart hospital budget

It was revealed last week that there has been a huge increase in the cost to taxpayers of the Andrews government’s flawed heart hospital project, from $150 million to up to $600 million.

This hospital should have been built alongside Monash Medical Centre, where it could share facilities and treat patients who have other problems as well as heart problems.

However, the government insisted it would build the heart hospital as a “stand alone” hospital, requiring duplication of facilities and providing poorer care for many patients.

Unfortunately, this shows that Mr Andrews is continuing to ignore expert advice and insist on expensive, badly designed projects, as he did with SkyRail and the Westgate Tunnel, while cancelling badly needed projects such as the Peter Mac private cancer hospital and East West Link.