Women will not be able to give birth at the Palmerston Regional Hospital when it opens mid-next year, the Northern Territory Government has said.
But NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said from day one the hospital would provide services for women before and after they give birth.
"To begin with, people will be able to get care pre and post pregnancy at the hospital, which means they don't have to trek into Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) for those important appointments," she said.
"As the hospital progresses, when it's appropriate, in a clinical plan, women will be able to deliver at Palmerston."
Ms Fyles did not provide a timeframe for the full rollout.
Due to open next year
On a tour of the hospital construction site yesterday, Ms Fyles said she hoped the new facility would be open in July next year.
The Government said the 116-bed hospital would include a 24-hour emergency department but highly critical cases would still be referred to RDH.
Ms Fyles said rehabilitation and services for the elderly would be transferred from Royal Darwin Hospital to purpose-built facilities in Palmerston.
The Government said some RDH staff may also transfer to the new hospital, and work on a staffing plan had begun.
"We're focused on delivering the staffing to provide the clinical care that both Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospital need," Ms Fyles said.
NT Treasurer Nicole Manison said the hospital, which is funded by both the federal and NT governments, was being delivered "on time and on budget".
The construction of the hospital will cost $170 million.
But the Government said it had budgeted an extra $35 million over two years for the hospital commissioning, which included furniture and equipment.
The Government said it would also spend another $5 million on staff and testing to prepare the hospital for opening mid-next year.
