The hospital, to be built on the grounds of Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne’s south-east, would be the first stand-alone hospital dedicated to cardiac services in Australia.
The Premier will announce on Thursday morning that the Coalition plans to provide $70 million for the project and that Monash Health – Victoria’s largest health service – will provide another $50 million.
Health Minister David Davis said the new cardiac wing would “likely” be completed by late 2018 if the Coalition was re-elected.
He said it would provide 57 new beds for the cardiac service, bringing the total to 100 beds.
Mr Davis said the new building would increase from three to eight the number of catheterisation laboratories, which contain diagnostic imaging equipment to diagnose and treat heart conditions.
He said the project had been costed by Monash Health and the Health Department and could be built for $120 million because it would draw on services from the main Monash Medical Centre.
Monash Heart director Ian Meredith said he welcomed the $70 million commitment and said he was confident the cardiac service could raise the remaining $50 million through philanthropic sources.
Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said Labor would also deliver a stand-alone heart hospital at Monash.
He said the Liberal party could not be trusted on health issues given both Dr Napthine and Prime Minister Tony Abbott cut health budgets.
“Cardiac care begins with the ambulance, and ambulances have never taken longer to arrive than now,” Mr Andrews said.
While there is a worldwide trend towards building more specialist hospitals to care for people with heart disease or diabetes, for example, the Coalition announcement is likely to be controversial.
It comes ahead of its long-promised “Health Capital and Resources Plan,” which was expected to map out areas of greatest demand for new health services across the state.
Fairfax Media understands that hospitals in Melbourne’s west and northern suburbs in particular have been struggling with rising demand in recent years.
Monash Health cares for people living in the marginal electorates of Bentleigh and Carrum, which could decide the state election in November.
In a press release, Premier Napthine said the planned hospital would replace Monash Medical Centre’s current cardiac department – one of the busiest in the state.
“Heart disease remains a major killer here in Victoria, with 20 Victorians dying every day from heart disease,” Dr Napthine said.
“Demand for cardiac services is growing, but space constraints at the existing facilities at Monash Medical Centre mean that expansion is not an option.”