Pratt backs call for new hospital.

THE chairman of Visy Industries, Richard Pratt has joined the growing chorus of voices supporting the campaign for funding of a new Tumut District Hospital.

Mr Pratt's statement backing for the campaign has been included in a pamphlet being distributed around the district, which also includes messages of support from other local industry leaders, the Mayor Gene Vanzella, medical centres, physiotherapists, farming and real estate representatives, accountants, shop owners and the regional development corporation Tumut Region Developing Naturally.

Messages of support have also been included from service clubs, the CWA, the Tumut Neighbourhood Centre and Cancer Voices of NSW

"I fully support the campaign for funding for a new Tumut District Hospital," says Mr Pratt.

"One of the reasons Visy chose to locate in Tumut was because it is a progressive town and receptive to our plans to building a unique factory using the best technology available.

"As a major employer in Tumut we understand that the provision of adequate health services is essential to a growing community," he said.

"Without appropriate modern infrastructure it is impossible to attract and keep doctors, specialists and other allied health services who provide the health care to which all Tumut residents are entitled.

"More than 100 years after the people of Tumut built its first hospital it is well and truly time to build a new hospital with new technology," added Mr Pratt.

Tumut Mayor Gene Vanzella said the shire council was supportive of the latest community action designed to reinforce the need for relevant health options.

Cr Vanzella said the council also supported the existing Tumut Hospital Committee, which was founded in 1999 with express the aim of acquiring a new hospital for Tumut.

Pointing to council's recent revision of its Social Plan and its endorsement of the current Tumut Health Service Plan 2006-2011 Cr Vanzella said the combined resources of the Plans and Committees together with current community responses would assist in efforts to obtain and maintain the level of health services required.

The committee of the Tumut Neighbourhood Centre Inc has also endorsed the community campaign for a new hospital, saying a commitment was needed from the NSW State Government "to fund the building of the hospital not in ten years time, but now".

Secretary of the Tumut Lions Club, Phyllis Darragh, says despite the work that had gone into the current Area Health Plan, the financial problems besetting the Greater Southern Area Health Service did not inspire confidence that the needs of the Tumut community would be met.

"Whilst it is important for preventative strategies to be put in place to promote good health, and for improvement in Community Health services, there nevertheless remains the issue of the antiquated facilities at Tumut Hospital which are far from what should be acceptable for the 21st Century,"' she said.

"It should not be forgotten that Tumut is a centre that is not only working hard to attract business, but it is also a major holiday attraction on the route to the snowfields, and to the coastal resorts of the south coast.

"The dedicated nursing staff should not have to put up with the inferior facilities and neither should the people of Tumut.

"It is time to reconsider funding priorities and to ensure that the community does not have to wait indefinitely for decent health facilities and a new hospital."

The president of Tumut CWA, Nath Pidsley says her organisation was involved in the public meeting held in 1999 from which a committee was formed to secure a new hospital for the Tumut Shire.

"Some progress has been made but we still have an almost dysfunctional hospital which makes it very difficult to attract doctors, nurses and allied staff:' said Mrs Pidsley.

"Also some patients, who should be able to receive treatment at Tumut, have to go to Wagga Base or other hospitals.

"A modern hospital with modern technology is also required to ensure business continues to move to our town. This urgently needed hospital would also relieve the pressure on large regional hospitals."

Gilmore residents Col and Jan Locke say the cost of building a new Tumut hospital was the cheapest part of providing adequate health care, and it would be designed in such a way to enable it to be adapted to current and future service requirements to avoid unnecessary distress of family separation.

It would require personnel adequately trained to use equipment for pathology, ultrasound, ECG, EEG and X-ray, and specialist electronic consultation resulting from such tests to be available to medical personnel for efficient diagnosis enabling speedy assessment and treatment.

Casualty and outpatients services should be provided in-house, and the facility should cater for minor surgical procedures, obstetrics and non-surgical treatment of fractures.

Shirley Thompson, proprietor of "My Fair Lady" is one of several local businesspeople to have added their voice to the call to replace the present building which was opened in 1900.

"With the old hospital it will be become increasingly difficult to attract younger doctors, nursing staff etc," she says.

"Members of our community should not have to leave their families and familiar surroundings to go to a hospital in other centres.

"Tumut is regarded as a regional centre for this area, but without a new hospital our growth in all areas can be retarded," added Ms Thompson.

Tumut Real Estate proprietor Leigh Rootsey has commented that if, as with the Visy mill, the whole town could get behind the New Tumut Hospital project "it would be hoped that the goal could be achieved somewhat sooner than is currently suggested by those holding the Government purse strings."

Frank Delany, of the Tumut RSL Sub-Branch, is another to support accelerating the proposed timeframe for the building of a new hospital in Tumut.

"The latest major overhaul and refurbishment of the existing hospital was carried out in the 1960 era to accommodate the construction of the snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme," he says.

"The present state of the hospital is symptomatic of all government infrastructure in Australia today, as there have been no major works carried out in the last 30-40 years:' he says, adding his congratulations to the hospital staff "who do such a sterling job under conditions so clearly less than ideal."

Dr Tedo Haider is yet another to fully support any effort to expedite the building of a new hospital in Tumut.

His comments in the campaign brochure currently being distributed express sadness over the deterioration of the hospitals in both Tumut and Batlow where he and his wife operate medical practices.

"Batlow hospital urgently needs replacing and has been allocated $7.2 million, but this is short of the amount needed to bring it to a proper standard. A modern, well-equipped hospital is vital to the well being of the Batlow people.

"Tumut's hospital, according to recent written and verbal statements from our health administrators is also in a very poor condition. It also needs urgent replacement," added Dr Haider.

Tumut & Adelong Times

Friday, October 28, 2005