NSW Labor Leader, Michael Daley, joined by Federal Labor Leader, Bill Shorten, today announced that together they will fund a new $200 million hospital for the Eurobodalla Shire.
The two Labor leaders were joined in Moruya by their Shadow Health Ministers Catherine King and Walt Secord, to announce the new hospital funding arrangement. Local candidates for the state seat of Bega, Leanne Atkinson and the Federal candidate for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, also joined the announcement alongside Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly. Federal Labor Leader, Bill Shorten said that a Labor Government will boost health services for people in the Eurobodalla Shire by investing $25 million to help build a new Eurobodalla Hospital. "Our $25 million commitment is part of Labor’s Fair Go Action Plan to protect Medicare and fix our hospitals, and is on top of a $175 million commitment by the NSW Labor Opposition, because only Labor – state and federal – can be trusted to fix NSW hospitals. "People in the Eurobodalla Shire – from South Durras to Tilba Tilba – deserve the same access to vital hospital care as people in Sydney and larger regions. But thanks to the Liberals’ cuts and neglect, Eurobodalla hospital services have been downgraded and patients are forced to travel hours for basic procedures. "Scott Morrison is cutting $5.3 million from Southern NSW hospitals between 2017 and 2020 – equivalent to almost 8,000 emergency department visits or 13,000 outpatient appointments.
In a media release issued it stated that the new Eurobodalla hospital will include:
A state of the art emergency department
Operating theatres
Maternity and paediatric services
Pathology services
Radiology services including X-ray, ultrasound and CT scanning
Palliative care
A helipad
Up to 20 mental health beds
Community drug and alcohol services
A rehabilitation unit
The announcement is in response to a community campaign to establish a hospital in the growing region saying "construction of the new hospital will begin within the first term of a Daley Labor Government."
"The new Eurobodalla hospital will operate within the Southern NSW Local Health District.
Labor will consult extensively with the community to determine the best site for the new hospital."
“Andrew Constance and the Berejiklian Liberal Government have downgraded Eurobodalla hospital services and have forced patients to travel hours for basic procedures,” Mr Daley said.
"Batemans Bay Hospital and Moruya Hospitals now perform fewer elective surgery procedures than they did when the Liberals came to office in 2011.
"There has been a 19 per cent decrease in the number of elective surgeries completed at Batemans
Bay Hospital since 2011
"There has been a 16 per cent decrease in the number of elective surgeries completed at Moruya
Hospital since 2011 Labor candidate for Bega Leanne Atkinson was at the announcement and has welcomed today’s $200 million commitment to build a new hospital in the Eurobodalla Shire. Ms Atkinson said "The new hospital will provide world class health care services to families in the Eurobodalla Shire,including a state of the art emergency department, maternity, paediatric, pathology, palliative care,and radiology services, including X-ray, ultrasound and CT scanning." Ms Atkinson was quick to credit the groundswell of community support for the announcement, particularly the efforts of Moruya based Dr Michael Holland of the ONE (One New Eurobodalla) Hospital Group. "People up and down the Eurobodalla are all telling me that we need better health services, and I am proud to say that Labor has listened, and that we will deliver a new hospital." "Today's announcement is a massive boost, not just for families who are living on the south coast, but also for visitors and those who are considering making their home here."
Above: Mike Kelly Labor Member for Eden Monaro, Federal Labor Leader Bill Shorten, Federal Labor candidate for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, NSW Labor Leader Michael Daley and Labor candidate for the state seat of Bega, Leanne Atkinson
