Indi MP Helen Haines has presented a petition to federal parliament signed by 1383 residents from Corowa, Wahgunyah and Rutherglen calling for a fully funded, single-site hospital on the Border.
Organised by the Corowa Wahgunyah Rutherglen Health Action Group, the petition urges the federal government to fully fund the Albury Wodonga Regional Hospital redevelopment in line with the 2021 Clinical Services Plan, and invest in regional hospitals such as Corowa and Urana to relieve pressure on the region’s overstretched health system.
It goes against the hospital's proposed $558 million redevelopment.
“This petition has been signed by 15 per cent of the local community – a huge number of residents who have acted on their concerns and demand a better deal for their health,” Dr Haines said.
In October last year, Dr Haines handed a letter to the Prime Minister signed by more than 200 local doctors that explained the proposal to upgrade the Albury Hospital is not fit for purpose, and will not meet the needs of the Border region.
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“The 2021 Clinical Services Plan and NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding Report was clear – our growing population and complex health needs require a single-site, greenfield hospital,” she said.
“Albury Wodonga Health is the only cross-border health service in Australia.
“Without proper investment in hospital infrastructure, our region risks a worsening health crisis.”
Dr Haines pointed to her record of advocacy for a greenfield Border hospital, including this year organising a meeting in parliament with the mayors of Albury and Wodonga and the Minister for Health and Ageing.
“I have been advocating for Commonwealth investment in Albury Wodonga Health since I was first elected, and this petition adds to the strong community call for a better deal for Albury Wodonga Health,” Dr Haines said.
Sally Hughes, a member of the Corowa Wahgunyah Rutherglen Health Action Group, said health outcomes should never depend on which side of the Murray you live.
“Our community deserves the same standard of care as Wagga, Bendigo or Ballarat,” she said.
John Crothers, another member of the group, said the group could not afford half measures.
“The 2021 Clinical Services Plan gives us the blueprint - a fully funded, fit-for-purpose Albury Wodonga Hospital that will serve our region for the next 30 years,” he said.
Dr Haines said Border residents deserved better than piecemeal upgrades and empty election promises.
“Border lives depend on it,” she said.
