Moorabbin Hospital

Full description

Moorabbin Hospital (VA 1250) started in 1949 when a group of interested citizens formed the then Moorabbin Hospital Society. The Society’s aim was to build a community hospital in Moorabbin. On 10 August 1949 a provisional committee was elected to “control the activities of the Society”. The Hospital and Charities Commission (HCC) (VA 693) and Moorabbin City Council (VA 656) each agreed to pay half the cost for a site of approximately 17 acres in Centre Road, East Bentleigh, on which the proposed hospital was to be built. The land was purchased in 1950. In 1968, the HCC reduced the site to just over 7 acres.

Stage 1 of the Hospital construction commenced in April 1973 following a State Government decision in April 1972 that a General Public Hospital of 200 beds would be built at Moorabbin as soon as possible.

The Official Opening of the Moorabbin Hospital took place on 26 October 1975 and the admission of the first inpatient to the Hospital occurred on 1 December 1975. Moorabbin Hospital was incorporated in 1976.

When completed, the Hospital was designated as Level 1 Community Hospital. Inpatient care was provided for general medical and surgical patients as well as midwifery. Outpatient services were minimal. A casualty service provided treatment for minor emergencies and for primary medical care. The Hospital’s second stage was proposed to add a further 56 beds to the Hospital, making a total of 110 beds available for general medical, surgical and midwifery use. Following on from the second stage, the service facilities for the 200-bed Hospital would be constructed and, thereafter, beds added up to 200 maximum, as required.

It was agreed prior to the Hospital’s opening that the medical staff should be organised in Divisions as follows:

• Medical
• Surgical
• Family Medical Service
• Resident Medical Officer

The Surgical Division was to include Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Anaesthetics. The Medical Division would include Medicine and the Diagnostic Services, including Pathology and Radiology. The Family Medical Service comprised general practitioners who worked in the community and in the Hospital.

Community cooperation was linked to the Hospital through the East Bentleigh Community Health Centre which assisted the Hospital in after-patient care.

During 1979-1980, Monash University’s (VA 1047) Medical School considered entering a formal agreement for Moorabbin Hospital to become a teaching hospital. The formal agreement received the approval of the Health Commission of Victoria (VA 652) in the 1982/1983 financial year.

In the period 1982-1983 the pathology building was completed and the radiology building commenced. The units provided services for which tests were previously carried out at other hospitals. The new facilities were opened on 12 August 1983.

It was stated in the 1986 Annual Report that amalgamation of Moorabbin Hospital, Prince Henry’s Hospital (VA 441) and the Queen Victoria Medical Centre (VA 1254) was being considered by State Cabinet. The proposed amalgamation was supported by Moorabbin Hospital’s Board of Management. This amalgamation occurred on 1 January 1987 and the new entity became known as the Monash Medical Centre (VA 2823). The former Moorabbin Hospital site thus became a campus of the Monash Medical Centre.