❓ Ms. Beard questions the Minister for Health about the commencement of the Meekatharra Hospital construction and expresses concern it will be forgotten like the Tom Price Hospital. The Minister defends the government's commitment to regional health infrastructure, refuting claims about Tom Price Hospital and highlighting other completed and ongoing projects.
AnsweredQoN 292Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOSPITALS — NORTH WEST CENTRAL ELECTORATE
292. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question.
When will construction of the Meekatharra Hospital commence, or will this
project be forgotten like the Tom Price Hospital has been?
292. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question.
When will construction of the Meekatharra Hospital commence, or will this
project be forgotten like the Tom Price Hospital has been?
AnswerView source ↗
The member opened the door, so I will
walk through it. The member mentioned Tom Price Hospital. I want to reflect on
some of the claims that have been made by both the Leader of the Liberal Party
and the shire around Tom Price Hospital. I can assure the chamber and the
community that regional health infrastructure remains a high priority for this
government. I will remind members opposite of the commitments already delivered
under this government, and if not complete, that are already underway.
We
have delivered the redeveloped Newman Health Campus, which was a $61 million
development, and the Albany radiation oncology service, which is
incredible for that community in Albany. There is a particular demographic of
community members in Albany, many of whom seek to access radiation oncology services
at home and close at home. We have delivered upgrades to Dongara Health Centre
and the incredible theatres at Collie Hospital, which are now taking work from
Bunbury Regional Hospital because those theatres are operating so well. That is
a fantastic outcome for that regional community.
There
have been upgrades to the emergency departments at Plantagenet Cranbrook Health
Service, Boddington Health Service,
Dalwallinu Health Service and Wongan Hills Medical Centre. We have appointed
Multiplex to complete the Bunbury Regional Hospital redevelopment. We
have already put 30 beds into the Bunbury Hospital redevelopment with the COVID
surge. It already had 30 extra beds. We awarded the tender for the Geraldton
Health Campus redevelopment and we are building a new women's and
babies' hospital and redeveloping the Peel Health Campus. Those are
just the completed and underway projects. We remain steadfastly committed to
delivering those projects.
I want to discourage the opposition
from continuing to peddle dishonest claims about those hospitals, in particular
about Tom Price Hospital. There have been claims that it is not in the budget.
We know that the Leader of the Liberal Party cannot read a budget paper. The
funding for Tom Price is in the budget and remains in the budget! Some of the
claims being peddled are, frankly, dishonest. It is ageing infrastructure. I acknowledge
that, but the fundamental point of the campaign that is currently being run by
the shire is actually about the service delivery at Tom Price. Not once has the
shire, the member or any member of the opposition written to me to complain
about the service delivery at Tom Price. Not once! That is exactly what the
campaign is about.
I can tell you, it is distressing
staff. It is distressing the fantastic clinical staff who work there. Not once
have you made any representation to me. There is a claim that somehow at Tom
Price all you get is a bandaid! That is the claim being made by the opposition,
and it is wrong. I will go through the services that are actually available at
Tom Price Hospital. I will go through those services.
Ms M. Beard : It is the
building! They want the building!
Ms A. SANDERSON : That is not
the claim!
There is a 24/7 emergency
department. It is not just a bandaid; it is an emergency department! There are
PathWest facilities. There are inpatient beds. There are radiological services.
Ms M. Beard : It is the
building they want.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Ms A. SANDERSON : There are
paediatric services. There are physiotherapy services, speech pathology,
occupational therapy, child health, gynaecology, audiology, dietetics, school
and community health, specialist telehealth services and general surgery. The
claim that you can only get a bandaid is dishonest and it is politically
motivated. That is it!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : It is
dishonest and politically motivated.
We have always acknowledged that the
infrastructure is ageing. That is why we are committed to redeveloping it. That is why we are committed to that. I am backing
in the service, and I am backing in the staff who do an incredible service to that community.
The SPEAKER : Members! That
concludes question time.
walk through it. The member mentioned Tom Price Hospital. I want to reflect on
some of the claims that have been made by both the Leader of the Liberal Party
and the shire around Tom Price Hospital. I can assure the chamber and the
community that regional health infrastructure remains a high priority for this
government. I will remind members opposite of the commitments already delivered
under this government, and if not complete, that are already underway.
We
have delivered the redeveloped Newman Health Campus, which was a $61 million
development, and the Albany radiation oncology service, which is
incredible for that community in Albany. There is a particular demographic of
community members in Albany, many of whom seek to access radiation oncology services
at home and close at home. We have delivered upgrades to Dongara Health Centre
and the incredible theatres at Collie Hospital, which are now taking work from
Bunbury Regional Hospital because those theatres are operating so well. That is
a fantastic outcome for that regional community.
There
have been upgrades to the emergency departments at Plantagenet Cranbrook Health
Service, Boddington Health Service,
Dalwallinu Health Service and Wongan Hills Medical Centre. We have appointed
Multiplex to complete the Bunbury Regional Hospital redevelopment. We
have already put 30 beds into the Bunbury Hospital redevelopment with the COVID
surge. It already had 30 extra beds. We awarded the tender for the Geraldton
Health Campus redevelopment and we are building a new women's and
babies' hospital and redeveloping the Peel Health Campus. Those are
just the completed and underway projects. We remain steadfastly committed to
delivering those projects.
I want to discourage the opposition
from continuing to peddle dishonest claims about those hospitals, in particular
about Tom Price Hospital. There have been claims that it is not in the budget.
We know that the Leader of the Liberal Party cannot read a budget paper. The
funding for Tom Price is in the budget and remains in the budget! Some of the
claims being peddled are, frankly, dishonest. It is ageing infrastructure. I acknowledge
that, but the fundamental point of the campaign that is currently being run by
the shire is actually about the service delivery at Tom Price. Not once has the
shire, the member or any member of the opposition written to me to complain
about the service delivery at Tom Price. Not once! That is exactly what the
campaign is about.
I can tell you, it is distressing
staff. It is distressing the fantastic clinical staff who work there. Not once
have you made any representation to me. There is a claim that somehow at Tom
Price all you get is a bandaid! That is the claim being made by the opposition,
and it is wrong. I will go through the services that are actually available at
Tom Price Hospital. I will go through those services.
Ms M. Beard : It is the
building! They want the building!
Ms A. SANDERSON : That is not
the claim!
There is a 24/7 emergency
department. It is not just a bandaid; it is an emergency department! There are
PathWest facilities. There are inpatient beds. There are radiological services.
Ms M. Beard : It is the
building they want.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Ms A. SANDERSON : There are
paediatric services. There are physiotherapy services, speech pathology,
occupational therapy, child health, gynaecology, audiology, dietetics, school
and community health, specialist telehealth services and general surgery. The
claim that you can only get a bandaid is dishonest and it is politically
motivated. That is it!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms A. SANDERSON : It is
dishonest and politically motivated.
We have always acknowledged that the
infrastructure is ageing. That is why we are committed to redeveloping it. That is why we are committed to that. I am backing
in the service, and I am backing in the staff who do an incredible service to that community.
The SPEAKER : Members! That
concludes question time.
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