Mal Husband and Peter Ryan greeted the PM with demands to keep the Batemans Bay Hospital ED open. Photo: Supplied
Protestors trying to save the Batemans Bay Hospital Emergency Department greeted Anthony Albanese as the PM’s campaign rolled into the South Coast town on Monday (21 April), but they were mainly there to confront incumbent Labor MP Fiona Phillips.
The local emergency department is scheduled to close once the NSW Government opens the new $330 million Eurobodalla Regional Hospital, which is currently under construction.
But while the Level 4 health facility will be larger than both Moruya and Batemans Bay hospitals combined, it will be located south of Moruya, more than 30 minutes away from Batemans Bay.
Locals in Batemans Bay say they were blindsided by the news that the development means their ED will shut down once the new hospital is opened.
Peter Ryan and Mal Husband founded the Don’t Close Batemans Bay Emergency Department community group 15 months ago and secured 18,000 signatures on a petition to save the ED.
But they say while the Liberal Party at both state and federal levels has committed to keeping what is affectionately known as Bay ED open, Labor is so far refusing to offer the same guarantee.
The pair arrived with some friends outside the Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, where the Prime Minister, Ms Phillips, and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher were promoting an extension of the clinic’s hours if Labor is re-elected.
The PM didn’t stop to talk to the protestors, but they were more interested in Ms Phillips, who only holds the federal seat of Gilmore by a slender 0.2 per cent margin.
Mr Ryan told Region that turning up to protest was “just part of an ongoing process that is aimed at Fiona Phillips” and Labor’s Michael Holland, the NSW state Member for Bega.
“Fiona won’t support us, and neither will Michael Holland, and that’s despite having a petition with 18,000 signatures,” he said.
“We’ve been on the campaign now for more than 15 months, trying to get some common sense into the situation and trying to be positive and friendly, but the gloves are off now and the fight is on.”
Mr Ryan pointed out that 60 per cent of the Eurobodalla Shire population lives north of the Moruya River, and 58 per cent of the shire’s total emergency department presentations go through Batemans Bay hospital ED.
“Lives will potentially be lost if they close the Bay ED, with extra travel time … to the new Eurobodalla hospital south of Moruya,” he said.
“We never realised that the new hospital meant that our ED was being closed. We were blindsided by that. I learned it from my local doctor when I went for a general checkup.”
Ms Phillips welcomed the PM to Batemans Bay during a media conference and, while there to discuss the Urgent Care Clinic, made reference to the Bay ED.
She said her Coalition opponent for the seat of Gilmore, Andrew Constance, who was part of the former NSW Liberal government, played a role in the decision to close Bay ED.
“The Batemans Bay Medicare Urgent Care Clinic has been open for just over a year now and it has seen well in excess of 12,500 patients,” she said.
“All people that are seen are getting that bulk-billed walk-in urgent care, and I’m really proud to have been able to deliver this as part of the Albanese Labor Government. But if re-elected, as well, we will extend the hours from 6 am to midnight.
“This is the only Urgent Care Clinic in Australia that will have those extended hours. We know how important it is for people in this community to have that … Andrew Constance has made no commitment to keep this Urgent Care Clinic open, and has made no commitment whatsoever to extend the hours to 6 am to midnight.
“What this community faces is, under the NSW Liberal government of which he was a Minister, closing the Batemans Bay Hospital to open the new higher-level Eurobodalla Regional Hospital.
“He was actually part of making that decision. What we’re doing is bringing in important, federally funded health services for which he has made no commitment whatsoever.”
Mr Constance took to Facebook to respond.
“Is Labor’s Fiona Phillips serious? Fancy standing in Batemans Bay Hospital in the bulk billing clinic when last year 18,000 locals signed a petition demanding the emergency department be kept by Labor,” he posted.
“You can’t treat a heart attack in a bulk billing clinic.
“Disappointing that the Albanese MP has failed to do her job. They couldn’t do this press conference in Nowra because Labor failed to deliver the bulk billing clinic there.”
In previous posts, Mr Constance has stated: “Batemans Bay Hospital emergency department must remain open now and forever”.
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
