The State Government provided $10 million in the 2015-16 Budget for Ballarat Health Services to expand its cardiovascular services with a new cardiac catheterisation laboratory.

This second cath lab is already giving the people of western Victoria the urgent heart assessment, treatment and care they need in Ballarat, without them having to travel to Geelong or Melbourne.

Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of adults in Australia and people who live outside capital cities are at much greater risk, with the Ballarat area having the highest rate of cardiovascular disease in Victoria.

Catheterisation labs are used for lifesaving heart procedures such as stenting, angiography, inserting pacemakers and implantable defibrillators.

Having a second cath lab at Ballarat Base Hospital means more people are being treated sooner, without needing to travel long distances.

Now, instead of having to go to Melbourne or Geelong, the people of western Victoria can have their cardiovascular conditions treated closer to home, with the latest technology, but without extra travel and accommodation costs.

In partnership with Department of Health and Human Services, Ballarat Health Services, Billard Leece Partnership (architect), S J Weir (local construction company)