Fitzroy and Mylène, the Head Petitioners of the Local Radiotherapy Services Petition, were once again delighted with the community response and support that is calling for promised radiation treatment to actually be delivered in the South East.
Mylène said of this weekend's response "An extremely encouraging and, hopefully, auspicious road mark on the progress of the community’s 2022 Local Radiation Therapy Petition flashed by today".
"On a crisp but sunny winter’s day, a very busy Community Petition stall reached and crossed an important threshold at the weekly Moruya Markets. Many thanks to all those who added their signatures today and special CONGRATULATIONS to Local Petition supporter Fiona, accompanied by young Hunter, for kindly responding to the ONE New Hospital Group Facebook appeal and becoming the 2,000th Petition subscriber! With temperatures as they are, you deserve those special socks!"
"Since SNSWLHD senior management are also regular ONE Facebook page-turners, though some affect they’re not aware of the web page (of course not….), the community has no issue in sharing with them that this Petition is tracking no less strongly at the seven-week mark than the previous L4 Hospital & Healthcare Services Petition (2021), and is well on its way to the 3,000 mark and beyond. Be advised!"
"With $4m+ in a federal 2019 Radiation Services funding program (for which Eurobodalla was specifically named as a candidate) still sitting there 2 years later unclaimed by our own State Health administrators (SNSWLHD) whilst their counterparts in other Health Districts with lesser or parity populations applied for and were given the green light for their grants:
"And with sitting Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips MP’s early and outspoken support, backing up with a generous $8m commitment from her government, there seems no reason, other than administrative inconvenience, to sensibly justify why such services are not being currently designed into the new L4 Eurobodalla Regional Hospital plan.
"Given this, population numbers cannot be a valid excuse, and clearly money is not the problem. Then why the inexcusable foot-dragging with the Duty of Care owed to so many seriously ill people?
"Even respected national cancer advocates CanAssist, who support this Petition, have been unable to rouse a response from the NSW Health bureaucracy.
"Is it an issue of those ‘in charge’ simply fearing that they will lose face and authority status if they accede to overwhelming community opinion? Or is it, in essence, more a case of the proverbial tail of administrative (in)convenience wagging the head of clear and present community need?"
"Again by community invitation, this time in Narooma, the Petition will be available to sign at the June 26th Sunday market. The community support continues to grow, and there’s more coming from the Bega Valley community! Keep it up everyone.
"Like the call for a proper L4 Hospital, let’s make this a Petition that is impossible to ignore, bury or forget.
"In the meantime, all you wonderful nurses, midwives, medical and non-medical support staff out there in the trenches, a massive thankyou to each and every one of you from the community for all that you do for us despite the inexcusable workplace conditions and challenges you face, notably of which staff shortages which are nothing short of an absolute scandal. Please know we are with you and support you. Thank you to you all."
