Warning - don’t get seriously ill or have kids in Eurobodalla Shire.

The Beagle Editor, I am appalled at the news today that specialist VMO Dr Michael Holland has decided to resign his position as head of the over-worked local Maternity/Obstetrics/Neo-Natal team, no doubt due to frustration with NSW Health bureaucracy and politics. Dr Holland has worked tirelessly for our community to ensure full Level 4 services are provided at the proposed Eurobodalla Regional Hospital. As a former director and last Chair of the Moruya District Hospital, I was looking forward to the new Level 4 Hospital as a necessary improvement in medical care and essential to community well-being and to the growth of our Shire. Since the Moruya Hospital Board was disbanded ( even then NSW Health didn’t want pesky locals having input into health services), I estimate the cost of transporting patients from Moruya and B/Bay Hospitals to other distant hospitals would be at least $100 million. It is likely the new hospital may be a mere transit lounge to hold some patients for transport to distant hospitals, perhaps another $100 million over time, not to mention the cost and inconvenience for locals to travel privately for medical services. It would actually be an economic advantage to spend more on the new hospital now. I remember decades ago when my wife had twins in Moruya Hospital , they went by ambulance to a maternity ICU in Canberra, standard procedure. One twin stopped breathing and the vehicle pulled over on the Clyde Mountain so the Ambo could revive my son. Another ambulance driver arrived from Braidwood to drive the group to Canberra under siren while the original ambo kept my son alive. He survived and is now a strong healthy productive adult. The point is, nothing much will change unless we get a fully serviced Level 4 Hospital. I don’t want to see parents and kids go through a similar ordeal but apparently that’s ok by short-sighted NSW Health and politicians. Local MP Andrew Constance has been silent on this vital hospital issue as has Eurobodalla Shire Council. I must declare that I am a candidate in the Council election for A Better Council group and I do understand that hospitals, like highways, are not directly a Local Government function. However, Council is a major employer and stakeholder with vast administrative assets to serve our community. I would like to see our Council be a loud and active lobbyist to state and federal government to support and improve such vital assets as a New Level 4 Hospital and an upgraded safer Highway link. These two are essential to the future wellbeing and security of our Shire now and into a challenging future. I hope the new councillors will do their job and be a loud and active voice to government. Best wishes and thanks to a brave Dr Michael Holland, we need people like you here. Gary Smith. Tuross Head.