Wednesday, 11 September 2024

 Meng Heang TAK (Clarinda) (19:23): (840) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide the latest update on the Monash Medical Centre expansion in the south-east. In this year’s budget we saw strong and continued support for the health services our Victorian families rely on, and as part of that support we are expanding the Monash Medical Centre with a new operating suite, a bigger maternity care facility and a new intensive care unit, ensuring local families have the care they need closer to home. I am very proud of the Allan Labor government’s strong commitments to health care and to the Monash Medical Centre.

It was an honour and privilege to have the Monash Medical Centre in the Clarinda district for several years before the last Victorian Electoral Commission redistributions, which saw Monash move to the Oakleigh district. During that time we completed the $76.3 million emergency department expansion and delivered additional emergency department beds and extra short-stay beds, as well as the mental health and alcohol and other drug hubs and the dedicated children’s emergency area, which is fantastic for our youngsters. It is an amazing facility, and we see nearly 5 per cent of the state’s emergency cases at the centre in Clayton.

As always, I would like to once again say thank you to each and every one of the amazing healthcare workers and staff at Monash for the wonderful work that they do. They do it day in, day out, and we will continue to support that amazing work by delivering an expanded and improved facility and enhanced service delivery to meet the needs of our growing community. That has included expanding the Monash Medical Centre with a new operating suite, a bigger maternity care facility and a new intensive care unit, ensuring local families have the care they need closer to home. It is a fantastic outcome for Clarinda and for the south-east region.

Since we have come to government Victorian public hospitals have employed over 5000 more doctors and over 13,000 more nurses. During the pandemic, when the healthcare system was stretched like never before, we acted decisively in providing record funding to bolster our healthcare system. These investments are very much welcomed in my electorate and by Clarinda families, and we will continue to invest in our support of the vital health services that families rely on. I thank the minister and look forward to her response.