Lowan electorate health services
Emma KEALY (Lowan) (09:53): Today I would like to raise some of the key issues around health services in my electorate of Lowan. I am hearing of many, many instances where patients are either being turned away from health services or having to wait for an exceptionally long period of time. Even when they have been delivered by ambulance, they are sitting in the emergency department waiting room because there is not enough room in the hospital. We are seeing this flow-on effect. The People Matter survey came out just late last week – a Friday night special – which indicated that 32 per cent of staff are experiencing very high levels of stress or high levels of stress. We need to see an investment in our health infrastructure and our health workers in this year’s state budget. Our infrastructure simply is not up to scratch. At Horsham hospital we have got an MRI machine in a container in a truck parked next to the emergency department. We desperately need an investment in Hamilton hospital, Mortlake campus of Terang and Mortlake community health service and the Willaura campus of East Grampians Health Service. I really hope the government are listening to our local people and will deliver this important investment at this year’s state budget.