CONCRETE has been poured and wall framing completed for a host of redevelopments to improve Northeast Health Wangaratta's (NHW) capacity to care for more patients by the end of the year.

Works on an upgraded emergency department with additional treatment spaces, as well as an isolation and behavioural assessment room recently commenced, while wall framing for new paediatric and medical wards has been completed.

NHW director of redevelopment, David Ford, said local builders Zauner Construction were well on the way to delivering the $22.9m completed expansion of the hospital by Christmas.

"We're in the process of the building of the medical and the paediatric wing, the structure is very much underway and we hope for that to be finished about November," he said yesterday.

"The next part of ED (emergency department) is well underway as well – the slab's been poured, the structural steel is up and the roof is being put up (yesterday) and the next part is some work being done on the maternity ward which is just a refurbishment of that."

The new paediatric ward will accompany 11 additional medical beds to create two 20–bed inpatient units, following the successful completion and opening of a 12–bed intensive care unit and eight–bed short stay unit in the last nine months.

Victorian Health Minister Mary–Anne Thomas was on hand for the official opening of the new ICU and short–stay units yesterday, touring facilities which now include negative pressure rooms to manage patients who have tested positive for COVID.

She said the redevelopments would allow staff to provide more urgent care and reduce wait times throughout the hospital.

"Our healthcare staff do an outstanding job – and a bigger and better Wangaratta hospital will ensure that they have access to the best facilities and can continue to provide the best care to the community," Ms Thomas said.

"One of the things I was immediately struck by is how dedicated the team is – obviously despite all of the challenges, this is a great place to work.

"It's an ongoing challenge to continue to provide the facilities that our health care services need, but I'm very proud about our government's commitment to continue to invest in our health care system.

"I want to say this, buildings don't care for people, people care for people – so it's all about our healthcare workers and making sure they've got the environments they need to deliver the services and the care that they are so well known for."

COVID–19 positives remained steady throughout the rural city this week, with an average of 37 new cases reported each day in Wangaratta.

As of 3pm yesterday, Wangaratta reported 210 active cases, down 12 from numbers reported on Monday.

Active cases in the rural city peaked at 427 on May 20.