Bega Valley Health Service Redevelopment project change manager Kerry Abramowski said this was due to the good weather the builders have experienced, which senior supervisor Ben De Bono said has allowed them to complete the majority of the outside structure of the building before focusing on the interior.

Site manager Gary Campbell said they will be completing the first areas – in renal – within the next two weeks, and Mr De Bono said the hospital is now 95 per cent weather proof.

Completion is estimated to be in early 2016, and Mr De Bono said it would be at least three months after finishing construction for the hospital to become operational.

While the workforce has currently hit its peak at 280, it will begin to decline in the coming weeks. 

In terms of equipment installation, Ms Abramowski said group one items will be installed and purchased by Brookfield Multiplex, and her department is currently looking at and reviewing major medical equipment such as medical imaging and sterilising.

Mr De Bono said approximately 40,000 pieces of equipment will be going into the hospital, but this includes everything from hand sanitiser brackets to CT scanners.

The built-in equipment will be installed before the wheel-in equipment.

On Tuesday, staff members from the Bega Hospital were given a tour around the site, viewing the many improvements made.

Exclamations of “cool” could be heard from the group as they moved through the rooms.

Windows had been installed in the majority of the rooms and many internal walls were up, giving a sense of how the hospital will look once it is completed.

Ms Abramowski said there would be tea rooms and staff rooms on every floor, for the workers to have a break.

When walking past an expansive, earthy cavern the visitors peered into it with interest, and Ms Abramowski said it was an expansion zone for which they had received a number of suggestions pertaining to its use.

The outpatient gym sat slightly protruding from the hospital body, giving it a good view over the green fields outside.

The visitors were led past eight renal dialysis bays, patient rooms with en-suites, a rehab dining area with functioning kitchen and the inpatient mental health unit.

Pharmacy and pathology have a shared area as well as their own space, the emergency department has two paediatric bays and a four bed emergency medical unit, and there is a spiritual and pastoral care room.

Child and family community health also have an outdoor play therapy area with a balcony so children can get some fresh air.