Thursday, 5 October 2023

Alfred hospital

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (09:52): Reports of infestation at the Alfred hospital with rats and mice, of cockroaches crawling in patient beds and of faeces around wards and on beds are a symptom of the state of our health system, and it is not good enough. It is absolutely damning that the neglect by the Allan and former Andrews Labor government shows the true extent of our health system. The Alfred hospital is one of the most eminent hospitals in the country, with a trauma centre that is recognised not only nationally but also internationally, so it is an absolute disgrace that the state of this eminent hospital is such. I call on the government to inject immediate funding into the hospital so that we can provide the proper care that patients deserve and that staff rightly deserve, so that those that work within the hospital do not have to put up with these conditions and, importantly, patients do not have to put up with these conditions. Again, I say it is a damning record by this Labor government. It is tired. It has neglected the Alfred. It was our pledge to fix the Alfred. The Labor government has ignored it, and as a result we have got this hospital infested by mice, rats, rodents, cockroaches and other –

John Berger interjected.

Georgie CROZIER: Well, there was, Mr Berger, and that says the extent of the neglect.