The Minister of Health, Brad Hazzard was in Moruya today to roll out another announcement and to give his Liberal candidates an opportunity to present to the cameras.
A grand marquee was erected on the shores of the Moruya River for the event and with handpicked media in attendance to capture the occasion. Once again the local independent media were not invited, most likely due to the questions they ask.
The announcement by the Minister today of eighty new graduate nurses and midwives for the local health district was heartily welcomed by the attending Southern NSW Local Health District personal who hosted the announcement.
The fact of the matter is that it is normal procedure that, throughout their first year, graduates are provided with opportunities in a variety of clinical settings to ensure they gain a range of experience and consolidate skills and knowledge developed whilst at university.
Given that the Southern NSW Local Health District stretches from Crookwell to Delegate with twelve facilities the widespread understaffing it is hoped that the Minister's announcement might see an improvement to staffing numbers in the region.
The Minister was not forthcoming on how many of the eighty Eighty new graduate nurses and midwives might find their way to the south coast, and when that might happen other than saying in his media release that they "have joined the ranks."
This being the case the continued outcry from nurses and midwives in the South East, as vocalised on last week on WIN TV can only mean that the local health services in the Eurobodalla have not benefitted from the claimed influx.
WIN News Illawarra reported (video below) on February 5th,2022, saying "frontline health workers say they've reached breaking point, calling on government to implement immediate solutions to ease the burden on emergency departments. It comes amid renewed speculation over the Eurobodalla Regional Hospital, following this week's parliamentary hearings on regional health"
VIDEO: WIN News Illawarra
In regards to the the acquisition of the new Eurobodalla Hospital site the Minister advised that the land has been compulsorily acquired after thirteen months of negotiations.
The Minister said that, on the 20th of December 2021, having not been able to arrive at the negotiated price NSW Health Infrastructure then began the process that allowed them to go into compulsory acquisition. It is understood that from December 20th, 2021 the government then has 120 days to process the acquisition. The final steps of site ownership by NSW Health Infrastructure should be in place by April.
Given that the Minister was aware of all of this in December 2021 one wonders why the Liberal candidate was not forthcoming with these details of compulsorily acquisition when it was publicly claimed at Kyla Hall that the land had not yet been purchased.
Andrew Constance said at the event that he was upset to read about questions around the acquisition saying that the acquisition notice was issued on the 20th December 2021 adding "I really wish that was out there so the community has that confidence."
Given that Hazzard and NSW Health Infrastructure are the ones in charge of the narrative one wonders why they have waited this long to advise about the acquisition given that today was the very first anyone had heard of it.
Even now the only evidence we have of any acquisition is by virtue of the fact that Alex Rea of The Moruya Mail happened, uninvited, to the Hazzard Media Soiree and videod the statement by Brad Hazzard.
