HEALTH Minister David Davis has accused western suburbs MPs of letting people down when it comes to dental health care.
But he refused to commit funding for Footscray’s decaying dental clinic in the Coalition’s current term of office.
About 20 per cent of patients using the dental clinic are from Hobsons Bay.
The state government failed to fund an upgrade of the Western Region Health Centre’s Geelong Road clinic in the 2012-13 budget.
The antiquated clinic provides emergency and general dental care to vulnerable people, including refugees, the mentally ill and the homeless, who would not be able to access treatment elsewhere.
But staff have battled ageing equipment and cramped conditions, and
this month the clinic temporarily suspended services after an equipment failure.
About 2500 people are on a waiting list for care at WRHC.
Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury chaired a taskforce which reported recommendations to the health minister in March.
Mr Davis blamed Labor MPs who, he said, were silent during their term in power.
“They were silent as church mice and did not complain … and didn’t take action or allocate money to get a solution for problems at Western [Region Health Centre’s dental clinic] and the fabric of the building.
“I want to be harsh and critical about people in the western suburbs, [those] members of Parliament who let their people down,” Mr Davis said.
Asked if the Coalition would fund a long-term solution in this term of government, Mr Davis told the Weekly the report came late in the budget cycle but provided a “road map” for dental services in the western region.
“I’m very conscious of the need. I’m critical of the delay for 11 years and the failure to do anything over that period, but now we’ve taken action and I will be making further statements quite shortly.”
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan said: “The health minister’s finger-pointing exercise will do nothing to assist people waiting for urgent dental work.
“Rather than blame others, perhaps Mr Davis should take some responsibility for his own budget allocations.”
