2 weeks Ago By Anthony Bunn
THE Victorian government has been urged to be more transparent about the closure of Wodonga hospital's emergency department and engage in "genuine consultation". or signup to continue reading Northern Victoria Upper House MP Wendy Lovell spoke in parliament on the evening of Thursday August 30 about her concerns over the fate of the casualty ward. She called on Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas to be clear about plans for emergency in the wake of a Wodonga hospital entity service plan which appeared as new designs for the Albury hospital upgrade were released.
"The action that I seek is for the minister to conduct genuine consultation with the Wodonga community before the Allan Labor government proceeds with its plan to close the emergency department at the Wodonga hospital site," Ms Lovell said. The Liberal MP criticised the planned Albury upgrade as "underfunded" and a " plan by public service lackeys to please the minister rather than meet the health needs of the community". "The only notable point is the repeated reference to Wodonga being a non-emergency care hub," Ms Lovell said, noting 28,000 patients attend casualty there annually.
"I understand the Wodonga hospital entity service plan, which will set the future of the Wodonga hospital, underscores this closure. "There is no timeline for these changes." Ms Lovell noted there had been promises of town hall meetings to inform the public about Wodonga hospital changes.
Benambra MP Bill Tilley issued a media release on Friday August 30 entitled "emergency closure needs to be out in open" questioning how Wodonga's emergency department can be closed if more cubicles and beds are not added to its counterpart in Albury. "These decisions are being made by faceless bureaucrats, from ivory towers in Sydney and Melbourne, without any concern for or engagement with the community," Mr Tilley said. has contacted the Victorian Health Minister's office for a response to Ms Lovell's call and asking if they will be any feedback sought from the community or a town hall meeting.
on August 25, a government spokeswoman noted the opening of the Albury emergency department earlier this year. "We opened the massive expanding treatment capacity and upgrading medical facilities to meet the current and future needs of the border community," she said. "This has always been part of the plan and paves the way for the Wodonga campus to transform into a world-class non-emergency hub for important services, including day procedures, dialysis, subacute care, treatment for chronic medical conditions, outpatient appointments and consultations, and allied health.
" DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters.
WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. DAILY DURING PARALYMPICS Get the best news and analysis from the Paris Paralympic Games in a daily update. WEEKLY Every Sunday explore destinations, deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around Australia and the globe.
WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground.
Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday.
WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks.
DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement.
