Thursday, 17 August 2023

Women’s sexual and reproductive health

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (17:38): (414) I rise today to speak about the shortfall in health services and clinics in the west, and the action I seek is for additional sexual and reproductive health hubs for women in the Western Metropolitan Region. Minister, I urge you to act on the shortage of sexual and reproductive health clinics and information services available in the west. Information from a review undertaken by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office shows a lack of access and information surrounding sexual and reproductive health services for women, especially in the Western Metropolitan Region. The audit also found limited access to services and a lack of understanding of major service demand and gaps, with a critical lack of clinics or hubs in the west which are designed to assist with information and services. More worryingly, the audit found that the Victorian Department of Health cannot quantify the real health impacts on the community of this shortfall in services and clinics, especially on the very diverse cohort of my community, where there are existing challenges in communication due to language and cultural differences. This is of great concern to me regarding my constituents.

What figures show is the high demand for these services in growing LGAs such as Wyndham Vale and Melton. From Wyndham Vale alone from March 2018 to January this year it is reported 1600 calls were made to the 1800 number. There are 11 hubs in our state, yet there is only one in the Western Metropolitan Region. I understand that in 2021–22 the government allocated funding for three additional hubs in regional Victoria and to expand existing hub operating hours and the scope of services, but, Minister, further action is needed in my electorate in the west, with one of the fastest growing populations in the country. I urge the minister to get the Department of Health to understand the need and comprehensive analysis of the gaps and demands of reproductive health services in the west for my community and its diverse cohort of populations and to reinforce the lack of access to these hubs and services.