Residents of Yea, Alexandra and across Murrindindi Shire, should be deeply troubled by metropolitan media reports last week that Victoria’s rural hospitals face being amalgamated into a small number of networks. Under the reported changes, existing hospitals will lose their CEOs and local boards would be replaced by advisory committees.
Reports indicate that these changes are designed to deliver savings to help reduce the ever-increasing and spiralling debt crisis created by the Victorian Government.
Once again it seems that regional Victoria faces a major reduction in services as a result of excessive levels of spending occurring in metropolitan Melbourne. And health care is one key area where gross inequity already exists in terms of access to services for people in country Victoria.
Let there be no doubt, when Government Ministers spruik amalgamations, this will inevitably lead to a reduction in local access to services. Over time it will lead to closure of local facilities as services are centralised elsewhere in the interests of so-called ‘increased efficiency’.
Yea Hospital has a special place in our hearts and our community. It was established as a Memorial Hospital after World War Two to remember our fallen soldiers. It owes its existence to many of our forebears who donated large sums towards the building. The Emergency Department was also the result of major local fundraising in the 1990’s. Some will remember its official opening by Sir Weary Dunlop.
Today Yea and District Memorial Hospital continues to provide excellent care for our community. It provides a wide range of residential and community services. The recent Saleyards outreach program and the Flood Recovery Support Program are examples of the way in which through local leadership our health service is responding innovatively to local needs.
YDMH is also the biggest employer in our town. It provides employment for over 80 people. It purchases goods and services within the local community. Closure of services would seriously impact our local economy.
Yea and surrounding areas would be a much less liveable community without the Yea Hospital. With limited public transport, the large numbers of elderly in our community would be denied ready access to health care. A major reduction in services is likely to affect Yea’s ability to attract and retain GPs and allied health providers.
Small towns in regional Victoria such as Yea really suffered as a result of past amalgamations of local government, the loss of major banks and other essential services. Losing our health service is one step too far.
The Victorian Government must not meddle with our health service. Regional Victoria did not contribute to government cost blow-outs and will largely miss out on any benefits of the Government’s undisciplined city- centric spending spree.
I encourage everyone in our community to take a stand, speak up about what is threatened and demonstrate support for our Yea Hospital.
