In house doctors
Our Victorian Government plans to roll out in-house doctors in 100 secondary schools in disadvantaged areas across the state during this year at a cost of $48 million for consultation rooms and staff. Neerim South and Drouin are two of them.
The program will allow 70,000 students – some as young as 12 – to access the services of a GP via appointment.
The GP will decide if the young person is “mature enough to provide consent to any medical treatment”.
If the GP does not deem the student to be a “mature minor”, then the doctor would seek parental or carer consent prior to any treatment.
The program guidelines show that even if a parent “expressly states” that a doctor should not treat his or her child, the GP can if the GP deems the student mature enough.
For example: Will girls as young as 12 be handed contraceptive pills in school? Or, what information or treatment will the GP provide to a student who is confused about his or her gender identity?
Is it proper and/or desirable that sexual health services be provided by a GP to an underage child without parental knowledge or even against parental wishes?
Who will be left to pick up the pieces of the GP’s unilateral decisions? The GP, our government, the community or the parents?
Janet Cowden, Neerim South
A whole double brick wall to the council. Where are we supposed to take our pets to be looked after when you close Utopia?
There is nowhere to lodge your cat and dog at the one place that I know of anywhere near by.
Bricks to pedestrians who won’t keep to the left. You either end up in a shop window or the gutter trying to avoid others.
Brick to NBN Company, 12 months and many thousands of dollars later there is still no service available from the box in Warraview Close Warragul.
A big bouquet to Drouin Men’s Shed for installing book shelves at Drouin Station and supplying a selection of free books for the passengers to take on the train. What a wonderful idea.
Bouquet to Gary Blackwood for arranging a mediation meeting between TIMP and the Athlone Community Representatives to try to get answers for both sides..
Bouquets to the two young guys who lifted a concrete pillar top into a trailer for me. Being elderly, it was a little beyond my capabilities so the gesture was truly appreciated.
A big brick also to the management of Warragul Cinema for deleting cinema times from their ad. I don’t have a computer but I do have a Senior Movie Club Card which I would like to be able to use when I know the relevant information of session times.
Huge bouquets to the wonderful paramedics who attended and took me to hospital on Thursday June 22 at about 7:45am. Bouquets also to the wonderful hospital staff. Tonnes of bricks to all dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs. One often wonders about their personal hygience. Shame on you.