An artist's impression of the new healthcare facility to be built on Milson Line. Photo / Supplied
An artist's impression of the new healthcare facility to be built on Milson Line. Photo / Supplied
A Manawatū owned and operated healthcare facility is to be built on Milson Line, Palmerston North.
A group of senior doctors, under the entity Central Healthcare Ltd, have announced their plans to lift healthcare capacity by providing the largest healthcare development in Manawatū for a generation.
The facility will be on vacant land at 107 Milson Line, next to Julia Wallace Retirement Village.
The 15,000sq m site is large enough to accommodate about 10,000sq m of new clinical facilities, Central Healthcare chairman Dr Daniel Marshall said.
The first stage of the project will include a full radiology suite, specialist consultation suites, an interventional cardiology laboratory, and a large dentist practice. The build is expected to take about 24 months and is planned to open in July 2024.
Architecture HDT, a national healthcare architect firm, has developed a master site plan allowing a two-stage development. The second stage, which is still under development, will be announced as the project progresses.
Central Healthcare has bought 107 Milson Line in Palmerston North to build a healthcare facility. Photo / Judith Lacy
Architecture HDT's work has been undertaken following careful consultation with Palmerston North City Council to ensure the development fits within the city's plans, Marshall says.
Central Healthcare managing director Dr Colin Hutchison said the group, which represents more than 30 senior doctors, looked forward to working in collaboration with existing healthcare providers to help meet the growing demand for healthcare in Manawatū.
Discussions were already under way with MidCentral District Health Board and Southern Cross (the co-owners of Crest Hospital) to ensure the new healthcare facility will complement other secondary care facilities in the region.
Marshall says Central Healthcare "is the result of a group of senior doctors who together want to improve healthcare facilities and access to quality healthcare for the people of our region now and for the future".
"We started back in March 2020 and over the past two years we have been working to successfully secure local investment and support.
"All of the founding doctors have recognised that a barrier to timely healthcare is the lack of specialist healthcare facilities in Manawatū both in the public and private sector where we work," Marshall says.
"We believe our new world-class facility will have a hugely positive impact on meeting the growing demand for specialist healthcare in our region. It will bring major benefits for both private patients and those going through the public health system."
Hutchinson said having an elective healthcare facility in Palmerston North will ensure Manawatū is able to attract and retain more specialist doctors, who can work across both the private and public sector.
He thanked the previous owner of the site, Dr Eileen Fair, for making the land available for development.
