"Man with the clipboard cometh"
Sir, - Re the letter received from Greater Southern Area Health Service Acting Chief Executive, Nigel Lyons in response to a petition sent by the citizens of Tumut Shire on November 3, 2005, to the Director General of NSW Public Health.
Unfortunately, there is no change to their position which still points to the Tumut Health Service Plan as the saviour of Tumut District Hospital. Again, the letter is couched in "bureauspeak". I offer the following as a rough translation for those unable or unwilling to spend time deciphering the terminology, without meaning 'any disrespect.
The man with clipboard cometh to measure up what size bandaids to use and where to stick them on our hospital so that it will last a bit longer. He will write a report for health managers next March.
A public meeting will be held in five or six months time to tell the public what he said. Next year, GSAHS will develop a plan to manage all their hospitals and centres. As part of this, more men with clipboards will audit Tumut then compare notes with the first clipboard man's results.
Re our concerns about access and affordability of medical imaging, especially ultrasound - no change. (Like it or lump it.) Re Batlow Hospital, tenders for construction are expected to be issued by July 2006." (Some good news at last!)
Our letters referred to the decay of our district hospitals. We have now been vindicated in no uncertain terms.
Two letters in your paper on Friday, December 9, titled "The State of our Local Hospital" point to evidence that Tumut Hospital is indeed crumbling, with an extensive area of rotten floorboards revealed. I have seen this area, located next to the solarium, and am quite shocked. I too, encourage individuals and community group representatives to view this and contact their elected representatives in local, state and federal governments.
As secretary of the newly formed No More Bandaid Solutions Inc. may I comment on Rhonda Blunt's excellent letter.
Our organisation is lobbying for an immediate commitment from the NSW State Government to fund a new hospital- now, not in the long term.
We do deplore large amounts of money being spent on yet more renovations to shirk the responsibility of building a new hospital. However, we are very much in favour of, in fact we demand, that any deficiencies in the buildings which are the cause of risk or danger be fixed immediately. The obvious case of dry rot, which I suspect may be extensive, should be dealt with asap. It is a disgrace that this has been allowed to occur unnoticed.
By asking for the government to allocate funding for a new hospital, we are not asking them to rob other hospitals, or to use money needed for repairs to Tumut Hospital.
We are asking the NSW State Govt. to bite the bullet, admit an error has been made and start the process of building a new hospital at Tumut now. It is not impossible. The money for a new hospital would come initially from general revenue, a decision for Treasury and the Government.
I repeat, NSW is not broke.
Our state government can make a decision to allocate enough money to build a new hospital at Tumut, just as it can decide to fund roads, desalination plants, harbour side projects, art galleries, you name it.
It is totally unrealistic to expect a growing economy such as Tumut to put up with a rotting, antiquated rabbit warren for a hospital which I repeat, is a danger to the public, patients and staff who work so hard in such pathetic conditions for our benefit.
Happy Christmas Tumut Hospital staff. I like the Chrissie decorations on the dry rot guards.
A mistake has been made. It needs to be fixed now. We are not interested in the blame game. We have new State Govt. leaders. All we ask is that they take another, harder look at Tumut and show us what they're made of.
Yours etc.,
Sue Swann Secretary, No More Bandaid Solutions Inc.
PO Box 491, Tumut 2720
www.nomorebandaids.homestead.com
Tumut & Adelong Times
Tuesday December 13 2005