Victorian towns facing hospital amalgamations are preparing to fight the state government to keep their regional health services as the opposition pushes the auditor-general to investigate the true financial state of the health system.
In response, opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier has referred the government’s threat to Victorian Auditor-General Andrew Greaves, pushing for a full audit of the state’s health services. On Saturday, medical professionals, councillors and community members will hold a rally to fight any attempted amalgamation of the Mansfield District Hospital. Mayor Steve Rabie has called on residents to “take a stand against any proposed amalgamation”.
In the town of Yea, 80 kilometres west of Mansfield, nurses and hospital staff from the Yea and District Memorial Hospital have penned an open letter to the government expressing concerns about the amalgamations and the hospital’s budget.