Residents start petition for GP
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THE residents of Cecil Plains have lodged a petition with the Queensland Government to reinstate a medical practitioner in the town.
The closure of the Millmerran Medical Centre in December left 1200 residents in Cecil Plains and the surrounds without urgent medical assistance.
Resident Sandy Kingshott has lived in Miles, Wandoan and Cecil Plains and knows how vital adequate health care services are to smaller towns in the southwest.
But the past few months have made her feel like the government has forgotten the “little guys”.
The petition calls for the state government to instate a “medical service to that of a doctor or at least a nurse practitioner at the Cecil Plains Medical Clinic”.
Prior to December, a nurse practitioner and doctor would serve at the clinic one day a week each.
They’ve been told there was a “strategic plan” to have a medical practitioner reinstated, but that might not happen until 2024.
“Up until December, we had a more than adequate health service here in Cecil Plains with the clinic more than two days a week,” Mrs Kingshott said.
“We don’t have anything without having to travel 80km in either direction. Some people don’t have enough fuel to get to and from.
“It’s just a whole gamut of problems that arise with not having somebody here and not having somebody we know, and we don’t have to go through the crap all the time.”
A Darling Downs Hospital and Health Services spokeswoman described the closure of the Millmerran Medical Centre as “unexpected”, and ensured there were temporary measures in place for residents in the surrounding towns.
“Darling Downs Health established Primary Health Care Centre on the Millmerran MPHS grounds to provide a short-term primary health care service to Millmerran and the surrounding communities,” the spokeswoman said.
“Cecil Plains residents can access this new Primary Health Care Centre, which is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.”
Residents have been travelling to Dalby and Millmerran to see a doctor but that in itself poses issues.
Having to travel the 80km round trip for something as simple as the renewal of a prescription or a blood test is not an option.
“We’re not asking for a fiveday-a-week practice,” Mrs Kingshott said.
“We can’t all afford to keep driving hundreds of kilometres back and forth just for basic medicine.”