The ACT Liberals would open two local public hospitals with emergency departments in Gungahlin and Tuggeranong by late 2020, if elected at the October election.
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The $118 million proposal - already praised by the Australian Medical Association as a "crackerjack idea" - reaffirms the opposition's bid to make health a key issue at the polls.
The pledge comes after a $395 million commitment to rebuild the Canberra Hospital building, including a new operating suite, medical imaging suite, intensive care unit and outpatient floor.
The Liberals have also promised to provide 52 new nurses if they win government, with 20 coming on board from July 2017 and the rest over the following two years.
Opposition leader Jeremy Hanson said the hospitals would provide an extra 20 emergency department beds and 24 short stay beds. Pharmacy, pathology and imagine services would also be available.
Each hospital would cost $44 million with capital costs of $15 million taking the total projected cost to nearly $120 million.
But the costings - yet to be submitted to treasury - rely on the opposition cancelling the light rail contract, which would cost between $220 and $280 million according to the government.
"Cancelling stage one of the tram would enable us to do what we want to do in health," he said. "This is affordable if we get our priorities right."
During the 2012 election campaign, former opposition leader and now ACT Senator Zed Seselja proposed two "urgent care clinics" to assist semi-urgent and non-urgent patients.
The cost was $15.4 million over four years and $7 million in capital costs.
Mr Hanson said the 2012 proposal had been strengthened to address overcrowding and some of the longest waits for emergency care and elective surgery in Australia.
The local hospitals would act as satellites for Canberra and Calvary hospitals. Those requiring longer term or specialist care would be referred after initial treatment.
"These overnight beds are not designed for people to be there for days or weeks on end," Mr Hanson said.
ACT AMA president Steve Robinson, who reviewed the proposal on Friday morning, praised the plan and called on the ACT government to support it.
"We would definitely support this and we like the thinking behind it," he said. "Actually, we would call on the Barr government to recognise this as a good idea and step up to the plate."
Mr Hanson said the local hospitals would alleviate a poor geographical spread of beds and reduce waiting times.
"Some Gungahlin and Tuggeranong residents have to drive further for emergency hospital services than many residents in regional Australia," he said.
"Our northernmost and southernmost regions need these hospitals and they'll become even more important as our city grows."
Nurse-led walk-in centre in Tuggeranong would be absorbed into the hospital while the Belconnen centre would continue operating unchanged.
"The problem with these centres is they do not operate 24-hours a day and are very limited in what they can do," Mr Hanson said.
"They are very capable nurses but they are working by themselves and can't do what you could do in a collaborate team of doctors, imaging and allied health to support them."
No location has been chosen for the hospitals but the opposition will insist it be built on greenfield land to allow for further expansion.
