By Cameron Tait
Health Minister and Altona MP Jill Hennessy will meet Werribee Mercy Hospital management to discuss plans for an $85 million expansion, including a critical care unit.
A lack of critical-care facilities has forced the hospital to transfer between 85 and 90 patients a month from its emergency department to other hospitals, which have the capacity to provide intensive, coronary and high-dependency services.
The next stage of the Mercy’s master plan includes building a critical-care unit, six operating theatres and 56 additional in-patient beds.
In the lead-up to last November’s state election, Labor promised funding for hospitals across the state, including $200 million for a women and children’s facility at Sunshine Hospital, but Werribee Mercy was overlooked.
At the time, Mercy Health chief executive adjunct professor Stephen Cornelissen said further government funding was essential to help meet the needs of the electorate’s rapidly growing population.
“With the closest critical-care unit more than 22 kilometres away, few could argue that the Wyndham community faces some of the poorest access to health services in metropolitan Melbourne,” he said.
However, last week, Ms Hennessy told
Star Weekly she could offer no guarantees.
“There’s been $1 billion in cuts to the health system in recent years and, as a government, we have to set priorities,” she said.
“We don’t have an unending bucket of resources, but we’ll continue to work with the Mercy to help relieve some of these demand pressures.”
On the issue of the area’s police shortage, Ms Hennessy said she had asked Police Minister Wade Noonan to meet with local officers to discuss resources.
At a rally in Werribee last September, Police Association secretary Ron Iddles claimed Wyndham would need an extra 159 officers over the next five years to meet the state average police-to-population ratio.
“I’m committed to making sure our community not only feels safe but has confidence in police and their capacity,” Ms Hennessy said. “I’m aware of the challenges and, as local member, I’ll continue to advocate to ensure we have adequate [police] resources.”
With the decline of the manufacturing industry, highlighted by the upcoming closure of Toyota’s Altona plant, Ms Hennessy said jobs would be a major focus.
“We have significant issues, particularly when it comes to youth unemployment,” she said. “I’ll be doing whatever I can to advocate for, and generate, new local job opportunities.”
Ms Hennessy said it was “very important” that the government deliver on its election promises, including a new senior school in Point Cook and removing Cherry and Werribee streets level crossings.
