It is hoped the new unit will reduce waiting times for patients, ease pressure on existing wards and improve the flow of patients by freeing up beds in other areas of the hospital.
With the structure in place, focus now shifts to final weatherproofing, the connecting of services and testing before the unit becomes operational later this year.
A Health New Zealand spokesperson said creating more space for short-stay surgical patients and assessments enabled more people to receive care in the right setting sooner – improving overall patient experience and outcomes at the hospital.
The new facility was part of the national programme delivering five modular inpatient facilities across the country.
Together, the facilities would provide 140 additional beds across the Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Waikato and Wellington regional hospitals, along with Middlemore in South Auckland.
The new Interim Inpatient Unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
Each module was about 18 metres by 4m and weighed around 24 tonnes.
Together they form a building roughly 56m long, delivering around 980sq m of clinical space.
Health NZ head of infrastructure delivery Simon Trotter said getting all modules in place marked solid progress.
“Having all 14 modules in place shows the pace we’re working at and how quickly these facilities are coming together,” he said.
“That’s the benefit of a standard, repeatable approach, with efficiencies carrying through across the programme.”
Health NZ was being supported by Crown Infrastructure Delivery (CID) to deliver the programme.
CID chief executive John O’Hagan said they would take the lessons learned from modular installation in Hawke’s Bay to future sites.
“It gives us a much clearer run at what’s coming, from logistics through to installation, and helps ensure we can deliver the rest of the programme efficiently and at pace.”