www.th hestar.com.au www.thestar.com.au TUESDAY, UES JULY 21 21, 1, 2015 - $1.40
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Rally for rail DESPITE D DE ESP SPIT ITE a public ppuubbllicc transport tra rans nsspo nspo port r forum foorrum um in in LeonLeeoonngiving ggatha ga athha ggi ivi v ng ng no no hint h ntt of hi of a return rreetuurn retu n to to rail rraail il services ser e vi vice ces ce ces ffor or the to town, Th T he Star’s SSttar ar ’s ’s facebook facceebbook ook page oo ppaagee has haass been bbee eeen een The iinundated in nnun unnda date tedd with withh messages wi meessssaage ges off support supppo p rt for forr a rail rai ail il return, retu re tuurn turn rn, reaching rn, reeac reac achi chi hingg more mor ore than than th an 8,500 8,5500 00 people. peeoopplle. e. Al A lso so giving ggiiv ivin ivin ing the ing the return th retu re ret turrnn of of rail rraaill momentum mom meen ntu tum iss a petition pettit itio ion Also launched, lla auunnched chhed ed, d, calling call call ca llin llin ing for ing for the fo tthhe reinstatement reein i st stat a em at mennt of of rail. raaiil. l. Read Reaad story sttor ory page ppa aggee 5. 5.
Rail Ra R ail i rready: e dy ea d : Leongatha’s Leon Le Leon onga g th tha’ ha’ a’s Ma M Max ax Se Semken em mkken kenn iiss bu bbuoyed buo uoy oyeedd bbyy the thee huge hug uge amount amou am ount nt of of support suppor supp su ppor pp ort rt for for the fo tthhe return rreetu turn rrnn of of rail raill ra to Leongatha to Leo eong eong n at atha and andd with with ith the it thhe petition peti pe titi titi tion tion on which whi hichh has hich haass been bee een en launched. lla aun unch nch cheedd.
Unhealthy wait Hospital delays prompt call for change INSIDE By Brad Lester
PATIENTS are waiting for a ward at Wonthaggi Hospital for up to 18 hours while wards at Leongatha Hospital remain empty, The Star has been told.
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An elderly Inverloch woman waited up to 18 hours to be admitted to a ward after being admitted to Wonthaggi Hospital. Inverloch resident Alan Woodbridge, a friend of the woman, was incensed. “The ambulance refused to take her to Leongatha and although explaining her GP was at Leongatha, she was taken to Wonthaggi,” he said. “We were advised that 18 hours later she
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was not yet admitted to a ward. “This is disturbing and distressing knowing there are vacant beds in wards at Leongatha. This reinforces my opinion that until Ambulance Victoria is advised to transport patients to Leongatha, the numbers for an emergency doctor will not be attained.” He believed Leongatha Hospital needed an improved emergency care service. The hospital has an urgent care centre that is serviced by doctors on call, while Wonthaggi Hospital has a staffed emergency department. State Government criteria requires hospitals receive at least 5000 emergency patients a year to qualify for a fully funded and staffed emergency department. Leongatha Hospital treated 3408 patients at the urgent care centre
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during the 2014-15 financial year. “How can it get it up to 5000 if it won’t take the patients there?” Mr Woodbridge said. “When I was at Leongatha, there would have been about a third to half of the beds unoccupied. “They should be able to take patients.” Gippsland Southern Health Service CEO Mark Johnson said given Bass Coast Health has a staffed emergency department, it would be logical the ambulance service would take the patient to the closer venue. He also said 5000 attendances would not automatically guarantee an emergency department. Continued on page 4.
A/H Kevin Smith 5664 5463