Private Patient Health Insurance use up and new operating theatre lights purchased

Private patient health insurance use at East Grampians Health Service has increased by 47% from this time last year.  Being a public hospital, patients with private health insurance have a choice to use it at East Grampians Health Service.

East Grampians Health Service Chief Executive, Nick Bush said, “It is helpful for our health service that people make the choice and use their private health insurance.  The increased use by the community has enabled the purchase of new lights for our operating theatre.  The use of private health insurance is a choice of the patient who purchases the health insurance to make”.

Mr Bush said, “It allows the health service to add to the public funds to extend the services offered.  The operating theatre lights will be used in the recently opened second theatre which has allowed more patients to be operated on, with local General Practitioners administering the anaesthetics and operations mostly conducted by Ballarat based specialists.” 

Mr Bush thanked the community members for their support and their commitment to East Grampians Health Service staff and doctors.