Dawesville MP Zak Kirkup is encouraging residents to attend a community rally near the Peel Health Campus next week, in an attempt to secure more government funds for the hospital.
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Mr Kirkup said he hoped the rally would convince the government that the region needed a better resourced health system.
“Once the rally is held, I think that will show just how united we are as a community and the government will be unable to ignore us,” he said.
The government will be unable to ignore us.
- Dawesville MP Zak Kirkup
“Any fair or decent government, regardless of the politics, would realise that something more needs to be done.”
Mr Kirkup said the hospital needed a boost in state funding as soon as possible.
“Immediately, we need an upgrade of the emergency department and more money to operate things like dialysis, get a cardiologist and improve wait-list times for credible procedures,” he said.
“Then we can have a conversation about what the hospital itself looks like, in terms of the carpark, and ward expansions.”
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Mr Kirkup said he would praise the Labour Government if they gave the hospital funding. “We are spending nine billion dollars a year on health...I feel like we could divert one percent of that into Peel,” he said.
“The other thing is, they have just had a one billion dollar GST windfall, announced by the Federal Government.
“The environment is right, and appropriate for the government to be able to spend money here. I have said it before, but this is not about politics...the funds would have a massive impact on Mandurah and the community.”
Health Minister Roger Cook told the Mandurah Mail that fixing the health campus was a marathon, not a sprint, when he visited the hospital in March.
The minister confirmed the hospital did need a physical expansion to meet the demand of the booming population, but said it would not be wise to rush any improvements. “It seems the previous government didn't do that planning so now we are in the process of having to play catch-up,” he said.
“Health is a beast and it is something we need to manage over a long period of time. But it is also a very expensive beast, so if we're going to make a case for expansion of the hospital, I have to have a really strong case for that.”
The Peel Health Rally will be held at 6pm, Tuesday May 1 at the East Lake Church Carpark.