IN Victorian Parliament this week we heard from a number of MPs about the difficulties their constituents faced in accessing ambulance services.
They spoke of the anger that is felt when parts of that system fail.
I know how important Ambulance Services are.
I have sat with my brother multiple times during seizures when he stopped breathing and started changing colour and slipping away.
I have sat on the back verandah with my three-year-old as he went into anaphylactic shock, and in each of those cases the ambulance arrived in time.
I cannot imagine the pain and the anger of having no-one answer the phone and watching a loved one die before your eyes.
I understand the anger, because when it comes to anger about being short-changed on healthcare our community has that T-shirt.
For 20 years Mildura had Victoria’s only privatised public hospital.
It was a disaster for staff and patients, and just like the ambulance crisis it cost lives too, and that made us very angry.
The question that we must ask is: can this government better the standards set by the previous government on health care?
Based on my experience, I have faith that this government can and will.
It has an indisputably good record so far, at least in relation to Mildura.
When I raised with this government the problems of our hospital’s management model, this government gave our hospital back.
When I raised with this government the problems with our hospital building, this government gave us a $2.1 million master plan.
As an Independent, I am not interested in political party games, but in what is best for my community.
I am here to hold the government to account, but also give credit where credit is due.
I am optimistic that when I raise with this government other problems that need fixing in the health sector, like GP shortages and paramedic wait times, it will listen and work with me to address them.
