Premier Roger Cook announces $4.1 million special care nursery for premature babies at Albany Health Campus

Babies born prematurely in the Great Southern will soon have access to special care close to home following the announcement of a new special care nursery in Albany. WA Premier Roger Cook visited Albany Health Campus on Tuesday to announce the delivery of a $4.1 million level-two special care nursery. It will mean mothers of pre-term babies won’t need to travel to Perth for treatment and care. The facility will cater for complex cases, including looking after premature babies born as early as 34 weeks and their mothers. The renovations will involve doubling the number of available bays and bolstering the nursery’s workforce with an additional 5.7 full-time equivalent senior nurses working in collaboration with specialist paediatric doctors. “This expansion is a game changer for families in the Great Southern, that will see more mums and babies receiving specialised care without having to travel to Perth,” Mr Cook said. “It means new parents can stay close to home and be near their support networks in those crucial first weeks. “Through this particular facility, we know that we’ll provide more support for mothers and parents of small children. “We know that they’ll be able to network better with other parents utilising this facility, and it’s also part of our expansion and growth of the Albany Health Campus to meet the needs of the local community.” The redevelopment will occur in phases across 2024-25. AHC sees more than 550 births per year, one of which was 18-month-old Kaito Doyle. His mother Saskia Doyle said the facility was great for the community. “I was lucky enough to give birth to my son, Kaito, here, and it was such a wonderful experience,” she said. “The midwives were fantastic, and the service was amazing. “I just think the options now to be able to have babies from 34 weeks will give such peace of mind to local mums.”