Tuesday, 21 June 2022

 Mr McCURDY (Ovens Valley) (12:56): I wish to raise three more concerns at Northeast Health Wangaratta that have been brought to my attention recently. Mr Greg Ford of Tungamah was taken by ambulance from Tungamah after a recent bee sting—he is allergic to bees—and he was released at 10.30 at night. There was no room for him to stay overnight. His wife cannot drive at night and he was told that the transport would be compensated, but after a bill of over $155 for the taxi ride he was told that compensation did not apply to him because he was only 60 kilometres from the hospital, not the minimum 100 kilometres required to qualify for compensation. He is most disappointed. A Mulwala resident was also released at night and was made to wait outside in her nightie in freezing conditions for nearly an hour as her daughter came from Mulwala to pick her up. Finally, another Tungamah man was released from Northeast Health Wangaratta at 1.30 am, and he was forced to hitchhike home. He walked for 5 kilometres in near-freezing conditions before he was offered a ride.

Surely the Andrews government can provide some temporary shelter outside the hospital in Wangaratta if patients are going to get tipped out late at night. The winter weather is hard on even the fittest bodies within our community, but those who have just exited hospital are very, very vulnerable, and this is absolutely outrageous that people are treated in this way. Again, I am not critical of the hardworking staff in our hospitals, but surely the government for Melbourne, who throw good money after bad projects in Melbourne, could at the very least provide warm shelter for those who have been forced to leave the Wangaratta hospital after hours. Show some respect to our people who rely on fair treatment from this government.