AUGUST 21, 2019 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
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Hospital funds cheer By Esther Lauaki
Top honour for Roger
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Werribee Mercy Hospital will be among those hospitals to benefit from nearly $400 million in state funding. The state government announced last Thursday a $391.72 million investment in Mercy Health. A Mercy Health spokeswoman told Star Weekly it was unclear how much of the funding Werribee Mercy would receive. “Werribee Mercy Hospital has been providing comprehensive care to the Wyndham community and those living in the south-western region of Melbourne for 25 years,” the spokesman said in a statement. “We help to deliver more than 4000 babies every year, operate a busy emergency department and, one year ago, we opened an intensive care unit to better serve our community. “Wyndham is one of Australia’s fastest-growing municipalities, with a population of more than 250,000. “To ensure we can meet our community’s needs, Mercy Health continues to work pro-actively and co-operatively with the state government to address the future growth in demand for services in Wyndham.” Tarneit MP Sarah Connolly said the funding meant more patients would receive care, treatment and surgeries sooner. “There’s no point building world-class hospitals if our nurses and doctors don’t have the funding they need to deliver the very best care,” Ms Connolly said. “We’re not just building hospitals, we’re investing in them, too.” Werribee MP Tim Pallas said the state government had, in the past 12 months, injected $25.79 million into Mercy public hospitals, including Werribee, to ensure they continued to offer quality services and treatment. “There’s nothing more important than the peace of mind that world-class care is just around the corner when you or a loved one is sick,” Mr Pallas said. “We’re making sure families across Victoria can get that care.” Mr Pallas said $12.2 billion was being invested in hospitals and health services to treat more patients – including $2.5 billion in the Victorian 2019-20 budget. Figures from the Department of Health & Human Services forecast that more than two million patients would be treated in Victorian hospitals in the next year, including more than 200,000 elective surgeries and 750,000 emergency department presentations.
Wyndham Citizen of the Year Roger Vistarini has dedicated the past four years volunteering to help men overcome drug and alcohol addictions. He was presented with the prestigious title at last Friday’s Wyndham Community Volunteer Awards which celebrate the achievements of some of the city’s many volunteers. Mayor Mia Shaw said Mr Vistarini was acknowledged for his outstanding commitment to community health and wellbeing and the time he has dedicated to helping men transform their lives at the residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Hoppers Crossing, Dreambuilders Transformations. “For the past four years Roger has volunteered extensive hours to help create a safe and supportive environment for men to recover from addictions,” Cr Shaw said. “He is known for going above and beyond in building relationships and making a significant difference in helping people to rebuild their lives.” Other category winners included: • Erum Ali – Community Engagement Award • Lisa Field – Environment or Sustainability Award • Gaurav Malhotra – Sports and Recreation • Emily Lacey – Young Volunteer of the Year • Headspace Werribee Youth Advocacy Group – Community Group of the Year. Award winners received a trophy and directed a donation to a charity or not-for-profit group of their choice. Details: wyndham.vic.gov.au/cvawards Esther Lauaki