A petition, now submitted to the Victorian parliament, calls for the halt of hospital mergers and the safeguarding of local employment and services.
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has thrown her weight behind the cause.
“The state government needs to step back from our local hospitals,” she said.
This petition echoes the broad-based anxiety about the potential repercussions on community healthcare and job opportunities.
“For too long, this government has exploited our regional health services as a cash cow to bolster its financial mismanagement of Melbourne projects,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Labor has painted the picture that local hospitals are losing money due to inefficiencies and a poor allocation of resources, and that hospital operations are to blame.
“This couldn’t be further than the truth. The reality is the Labor Government has never provided enough funding for the hospitals to succeed.
“The current funding level is just barely enough to cover wages and basic expenses such as food and medicine and has suffocated hospitals and left them unable to replace equipment that had reached the end of its life or recruit more staff when necessary.”
The petition says amalgamation of hospitals may result in extended waiting lists, reduced local influence in healthcare decisions, increased travel for medical care and possible job losses in local communities.
The petitioners are concerned that these alterations could adversely impact rural and regional areas, which they believe have already been neglected by the government.
“These mergers are punishing local health services that by all accounts are running better than the state’s major health providers they are being merged with,” Ms Cleeland said.
“We are already seeing the impact of these proposed mergers before many of them have even begun, including job losses for long-term cleaning, catering and support staff, as well as nurses.
“Other towns have been unable to keep their emergency department doctors open over the weekends, leaving locals at risk.
“As things stand, people living in remote areas are already 1.8 times more likely to die from potentially avoidable causes compared to people in major cities.
“The signs are ominous, with nurses reaching out to me seeking clarification on the future of their hospitals.”
The state opposition said the recent Victorian budget cut $207 million from public health on top of millions cut from dental services, aged care, ambulance services, health workforce training and maternal and child health.
Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the government was getting on and building a better health system.
“We certainly will not be taking the advice from the same political parties who were responsible for closing regional hospitals in every corner of Victoria, including Eildon, Koroit, Mortlake, Murtoa, Red Cliffs, Macarthur, Clunes, Beeac, Birregurra, Lismore, Elmore and Wangaratta, and privatising hospitals in Traralgon and Mildura,” she said.
“Our track record speaks for itself — there will be no hospital closures under my watch.”
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