- Published:
- Friday 14 January 2022
Two medi-hotels will be set up to help care for the growing number of COVID-19 patients needing lower-level care, easing pressure on Victoria’s hospital system.
Hotel quarantine sites are being transformed into medi-hotels, from Monday providing Hospital in the Home style care for low acuity patients in a highly controlled environment and with all the amenities of existing health hotels.
The medi-hotels will have capacity to provide care for over 300 patients at a time – in partnership with Northern Health and Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The medi-hotels will alleviate pressures on the hospital networks by freeing up beds for patients with higher-care needs, while making good use of existing space in the hotel quarantine network.
Patients eligible for transfer will be those well enough to be relocated from a general hospital ward for the final stages of their clinical care. This triaging process will be carefully managed by authorised health professionals from the coordinating hospital.
Transitional care and support will be provided to people in the medi-hotel, with clinical teams available to respond to any medical emergencies.
As with Hospital in the Home, medi-hotel patients will remain under the care of the coordinating hospital and will still be considered an inpatient of that facility.
CQV will retain operational management of the hotels and Victoria Police will continue its on-site security function.
Hotel quarantine for unvaccinated returned overseas travellers and emergency accommodation for community members and frontline workers will continue at separate hotels not being used as medi-hotels.
Quotes attributable to Acting Minister for Health James Merlino
“The medi-hotels will provide us with an extra buffer at a time when COVID-19 case numbers and related hospital admissions are rising.”
“Patients will receive high-quality care from health professionals in a hotel setting, making even better use of the resources we have available.”
“The CQV workforce stand ready and able to assist their fellow frontline workers in the ongoing efforts against COVID-19, helping keep Victorians safe.”