Thursday, 3 August 2023

Regional hospital funding

Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (12:17): (220) My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Health. It is of significant importance that our hospitals are appropriately provisioned to cater to the needs of our society’s most vulnerable, and it is our state government’s responsibility to ensure that these needs are met. I am sure the minister can imagine my dismay when I realised that charity groups, such as the Humpty Dumpty Foundation in particular, have been fundraising to support the gap in supply of life-saving equipment in maternity wards. Can the minister answer why the government is not funding the purchase of this vital life-saving equipment in regional hospitals?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:18): I thank Mrs Tyrrell for her question for Minister Thomas, and I will pass that on.