Labor said it was sceptical the government would deliver upgrades to the Mersey Community Hospital on schedule following the opening of the tender process for the next stage of the redevelopment.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The government opened the tender process for the design and subsequent project management for outpatient clinics and operating theatres, as part of the $35 million Mersey hospital redevelopment, on Saturday.
Labor health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said her concern was that she had little faith in any project being delivered by Health Minister Michael Ferguson given the "absolute circus" which has been the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment.
Ms Lovell said the government needed to focus on preventative care instead of its "band-aid solutions."
She said the state government should be both investing in solving ongoing issues at the Mersey hospital in addition to investing in its development.
The 2019-20 budget included $31.6 million to complete the upgrade and an additional $4 million to provide services following the completion of the redevelopment.
Liberal Braddon MHA Joan Rylah said the Mersey upgrade would see the expansion of recovery and theatre spaces, expanded outpatient clinics, an additional endoscopy unit and fully redeveloped day procedure unit.
"The Mersey is an important hospital not just for the people of the North West, but for the broader Tasmanian Health Service," she said.
Meanwhile in the state's South, residents in Risdon Vale have expressed their concerns over the impending closure of the Risdon Vale Medical Centre.
The centres closure is due to the retiring of one of its GPs, and the inability to find a replacement.
Resident Anne Harrison said the worry was that there are over 500 people, most of those elderly, who would need to find a place in other practices.
"The government has said to us they are struggling to get doctors to go anywhere," Ms Harrison said.