Wednesday, 4 October 2023

 Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (14:36): (332) My question is for the Minister for Health, and my question is: when will the critical care service plan for Mildura Base Public Hospital be funded? The critical care service plan is essential for planning and paving the way for desperately needed additional services at MBPH, such as a catheterisation lab. Recently I became aware of a reply to a letter from the federal health minister regarding the desperate need for this service in the far north-west of the state from our health minister stating that the Loddon Mallee already has two – in Bendigo, 5 hours away. The tyranny of distance means that this has cost lives like that of Scott Umback, husband of Katrina, who could not get an angiogram in Mildura and who died, despite the efforts of our wonderful Ambulance Victoria members, whilst waiting for the adult retrieval service. Mildura Base Public Hospital staff are incredible but driving blind without a master plan or funding for the critical care service plan as discussed with admin. So when will funding be allocated for the MBPH critical care service plan? The need is critical to explore these provisions.