Four of Adelaide's public hospitals are set to share in a $123 million funding injection, which the SA government says will deliver boosted bed capacity as the state's health system battles the Omicron strain.
The election promise will target the Lyell McEwin, Noarlunga, Modbury and Repat hospitals, providing 88 beds and 15 treatment spaces.
Premier Steven Marshall said the investment was part of a $500 million pledge that the government is yet to detail in full, and is expected to include a joint state-federal mental health announcement next week.
"The important issue now is that we have the requisite beds in the system… so that we've got the appropriate response to the coronavirus," Mr Marshall said.
Earlier, there was confusion within government ranks over whether the investment amounted to new spending.
When asked whether it was "all new money", Health Minister Stephen Wade deferred to Treasurer Rob Lucas.
"That's a question for the Treasurer," Mr Wade told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning.
"The Treasurer is, if you like, the custodian of the purse but, as I said, the details of this commitment will be made later today."
Mr Lucas responded by saying that the "vast bulk" was "going to be new money" but conceded that "some is continuing money".
"Some of it will be a combination of state and federal money," he said.
"It does also include additional funding to continue the COVID Ready preparedness for our hospital system.
Spending on beds and land purchase
The $123 million will be broken down across the Lyell McEwin, Noarlunga, Modbury and Repat hospital sites in the city's northern and southern suburbs.
The lion's share of the funding will go to the Lyell McEwin, with $47 million to be spent on 48 new beds across two new inpatient units and $5 million to purchase adjacent land for future expansion and car parking.
The Modbury Hospital will receive $22.5 million for 16 new dementia beds, while the Noarlunga Hospital will receive a $20 million injection on 15 new treatment spaces.
The Repat will be boosted with 24 beds at a new geriatric evaluation and management unit, at a cost of $29 million.
"These will be focused on older people living in our community, that will further take pressure off the situation that exists at the Flinders Medical Centre," Mr Marshall said.
Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said the government had a poor track record on managing the health system, and that Labor had committed to 300 new beds, 300 new nurses and 100 new doctors.
Labor made health the focus of its campaign launch over the weekend.
"This government's had four years and what we've seen is the situation become dramatically worse — ramping up 485 per cent and ambulance response times now the worst in the country," Mr Picton said.
"We've outlined a very detailed, costed, thoughtful plan to fix the ramping crisis.
"The fact is we will be able to spend more on our health system because we will cancel the basketball stadium or the Riverbank Arena or whatever you want to call it — that's $662 million extra that we will be able to put into the health system."
