Tuesday, 5 May 2026

 Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (19:03): (1640) My adjournment matter is also for the Minister for Health. The action I seek is for the minister to visit my community and see firsthand the benefits of federal and Victorian Labor government investments to support health and wellbeing outcomes for people across my community of Pascoe Vale, Coburg and Brunswick West. The health and wellbeing of everyone is absolutely paramount, and regardless of age, background, income, circumstance or postcode, everyone across our community deserves access to quality health care. It has always been federal and state Labor governments that have established, sustained and protected Medicare and the pharmaceutical benefits scheme; built and expanded new hospitals, health and wellbeing services; and backed our doctors, nurses, allied health, community health and health workers right across the sector.

Building on this record, I very much welcome the recent opening of the new Coburg Medicare urgent care clinic just a few weeks ago, made possible by the Albanese Labor government and our federal member Peter Khalil, the member for Wills. The new Medicare urgent care clinic is situated at 444 Sydney Road in Coburg and is open from 8 am to 10 pm, seven days a week, every day of the year, and the clinic is equipped to treat a range of conditions and injuries that need urgent attention but that are not life-threatening, including cuts, burns, viral infections, breaks or sprained ankles. No appointment is needed. All patients can just walk in and all services are bulk-billed with your Medicare card, and it has already seen over 200 patients.

One of those patients was a young girl, Zohar, who experienced a serious episode of anaphylaxis a few nights ago, around the time just after the opening. Her dad Raza rushed her down to the Medicare clinic, where she was given urgent care and treatment. I met them at the front, ironically enough, when they came to thank the diligent staff. Zohar and Raza’s case is the reason why we need Medicare urgent care clinics across our communities, including in Coburg. These clinics build on the other initiatives we are pursuing as a Victorian Labor government through the Nurse-on-Call hotline and the virtual emergency department. 24/7 you can speak to an emergency doctor or nurse online by video at any time. My wife and I have used that a few times for our kids. It is absolutely sensational.

The Chemist Care initiative is providing free advice and treatment from participating pharmacies for a range of conditions without the need to see a GP: uncomplicated infections, skin conditions, UTIs, shingles, mould infections, vaccinations for travel, hep A, hep B, polio and typhoid and the resupply of the oral contraceptive pill. In the near future it will be expanded to also cover asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, ear infections, high blood pressure, hormone replacement therapy and much more. There are a number of pharmacies that offer this across my community: Pharmacy 777 on Kent Road; TerryWhite chemist on Cumberland Road in Pascoe Vale; Direct Chemist Outlet in Coburg; Bell Street Pharmacy on Bell Street; Healthline Pharmacy, Bell Street, Coburg; Halfpenny pharmacy, Sydney Road, Coburg; Chemist Warehouse, Sydney Road, Coburg; Nelson’s Pharmacy, West Street, Hadfield – for the member for Broadmeadows – which we visited; and Healthline Pharmacy, Snell Grove in Oak Park. These reforms are all about saving locals time and money when it comes to accessing quality health care, including that from September GPs will also be allowed to diagnose and prescribe for ADHD and from July women over 18 will be able to be prescribed and treated with the pill. I welcome the minister to my community.