Hollow health pledge

WHEN it comes to hospital pledges, local voters have every reason to be sceptical.

Many politicians have stood up and made promises to build much-needed public hospitals, only to see the project evolve into something quite different by the time the finished product comes along.

Yesterday, the State Government vowed to provide Torquay with a brand-new community hospital if re-elected next month. Health minister Jill Hennessy cited Torquay’s massive growth and popularity with young families as driving factors for the pledge. However, alarm bells rang when Ms Hennessy couldn’t fully detail the scope of plans for the hospital or disclose if there would be any overnight beds or even an emergency department.

At what point does a health hub or a super clinic become a hospital? Where is the line you cross before using the term hospital becomes misleading?

There is no doubting the population influx through the Armstrong Creek growth area and Surf Coast justifies investment in public health facilities. But politicians should be wary of throwing around the H word unless they fully intend to provide a facility that their voters would describe as a hospital.

Residents in Geelong’s north know all too well the disappointment of learning that a project announced with much fanfare and had been assumed to be a fully operational hospital, would be watered down to a health hub with no emergency services. And South Barwon voters not too long ago experienced the let-down of seeing the Waurn Ponds public hospital that had won bipartisan support before the 2010 election, later changed to become a private hospital run by Epworth Healthcare with some public services.

Key infrastructure projects are essential as our region continues to grow and evolve. If the State Government intends to build a new hospital in Torquay, that should be applauded. But they should also bear in mind that voters who have been let down tend to have long memories.