AN old building which once served as Henty's hospital prior to the building of the Henty Multi Purpose Health Service (MPS) remains in better condition than the Batlow hospital, according to the chairperson of the Adelong Batlow MPS Committee.

Smarting over delays in State Government funding approval for a new Batlow MPS, construction on which at one stage was expected to begin back in 2004, the MPS committee will today impress on the Chief Executive of the newly merged Greater Southern Health Service, Associate Professor Stuart Schneider, the deteriorating condition of the existing hospital building when he visits Adelong and Batlow.

'It's in an appalling state,' said MPS chairperson Janice Vanzella.

"The back of the old section of the hospital is badly weathered and hasn't been painted in at least 15 years or more. A section of asbestos has paint peeling off, and here we still have an old wooden framed building built back in the forties during an era when they built out of whatever materials they could gather together.

"The time for a new facility is long, long overdue. "Henty has its new MPS, but the old Henty hospital is still 100% better than what we have here in Batlow at present. "

It seems the old section is not the only area where problems exist. A fortnight ago an 80 year old man with dementia fell three metres from a window at the Batlow Hospital after putting his hand on a flyscreen over the open window to steady himself, and it gave way.

Hospital staff were reported to be most distressed about the incident in which the man suffered cuts bruises and suspected broken ribs.

The shortcomings and lack of maintenance at the hospital will be one of the major thing on the agenda for Assoc. Prof. Schneider when he tours the building today at the invitation of the MPS committee.

Prof Schneider will be invited to carry out both an external and internal tour of the existing Hospital.

He will also be inspecting the Batlow Railway land which has been identified as the preferred site for the new MPS, if and when it finally gets built.

The committee will no doubt be taking the opportunity to impress on Prof Schneider the urgent need for his support in having the government commit funds, and its own dismay over the setback announced in December after the Government was told the project could cost $ 10 million, nearly twice that estimated two years earlier.

Back in 2003 the MPS committee was informed paperwork for involvement by both the federal and state governments was virtually complete and construction was anticipated throughout 2004.

That didn't eventuate, but up until late last year the MPS committee had been fully expectant that plans would go on display over Christmas week, and the new building would be constructed next year.

It was anticipated that a Value Management Study would be set for early in the new year, quickly followed have final design and then construction .

Sadly however, December saw confirmation that with cost projections having blown out to around $10 million the project had to be referred back by NSW Health to State Treasury.

A short statement issued at the time by NSW Health and the (former) GMAHS referred to 'delays due to the lack of available funds from the NSW Government.'

It also indicated no date had been set for the public display of information about the proposed sites for the MPS, although the committee is known to favour the railway land as a "greenfields' site.

At the time members of the committee expressed grave disappointment over the funding delay, vowing to contact both State and Federal M.P.s in a bid to impress upon NSW Health the urgency for the project to proceed.

Since then State Member for Burrinjuck Katrina Hodgkinson has called on the government to fund the project as a matter of urgency.

'The community of Batlow has invested too much time and effort in furthering this project to accept these continuing delays," said Ms Hodgkinson.

"This new delay is simply unacceptable," she said, adding she had again made strong representations to both the Minister for Health and the Area Health Service on behalf of the MPS committee.

"The Minister must explain why he is continuing to allow these delays to occur when there is already a desperate need for upgraded facilities in Batlow," said Ms Hodgkinson, "and he must also explain why he has apparently made insufficient financial allocation for this important project."

MPS chairperson Janice Vanzella said despite assurances that NSW Health remained fully committed to the project, there were now growing fears in Batlow and Adelong that the MPS may be delayed indefinitely.

"We have no dates and I can't see it happening before 2006, and only then if we're lucky.

"It's unacceptable given anew Batlow MPS was signed off two years ago.

"Why has the government not bothered to see this through to fruition given the urgent need.

"It has already been documented in the local press that the Shire is short of aged care beds, and that its aged population is expected to double by 2030."

The proposed MPS plan is for a 24 bed facility with five acute beds and 19 residential aged care places. The latter will include eight high care beds, one respite bed, and a ten bed hostel.

Tumut & Adelong Times

Tuesday, March 1, 2005