Ballina hospital gets new teaching facility
More students will be able to undertake their training locally with the official opening last week of a Federally-funded teaching facility and student accommodation complex at the Ballina District Hospital.
Minister for Health, Tanya Plibersek, and Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, said the facility will enable an integrated approach to clinical training, with students from a range of disciplines living and working together at the one purpose-built site.
Construction of the $4,148,788, two-storey facility has been funded by the Australian Government’s Clinical Training Funding (CTF) program.
“This wonderful new Ballina complex has been designed so that students from multiple professions – medical, nursing and allied health – can study and develop their clinical skills together,” Ms Plibersek said.
“We know that the people who train in an area are far more likely to stay, live and work in that area.
“Now when students come to Ballina to train, not only will they enjoy a wonderful coastal lifestyle, but they can live and train in a state-of-the-art facility on the grounds Ballina Hospital.”
Ms Saffin said she strongly supported the project, knowing how it would not only improve training but because better training facilities means better health facilities and better health services.
The facility is expected to train and accommodate around 200 students during the first year of operation, with capacity to provide short-stay beds for up to 20 students at a time.
Accommodation can be expanded by a further nine beds if needed in the future.
