TWENTY medical beds are lying vacant in Robinvale in the middle of a health crisis, as the local health service struggles to find doctors and other staff.
Health sector insiders have told The Guardian that Robinvale District Health Services “has been in turmoil for quite a while” and was now unable to adequately service its community.
Sources say some patients are being unnecessarily transferred to Mildura with minor conditions that should be dealt with locally, putting the already beleaguered Mildura Base Public Hospital under more pressure.
“They don’t have the medical staff to do it,” one source said. “They are advertising for people … but I doubt they’ll fill those (positions).”
RDHS is advertising at least seven positions across medical and paramedical fields. Its chief executive, Mara Richards, has been on leave for months and the State Government has made a ministerial appointment to its board.
Independent state Member for Mildura, Ali Cupper, said she understood this appointment to be one of administrative support, due to the prolonged absence of Mrs Richards, and that it should not be seen as a reflection on permanent board members.
Ms Cupper said, however, that it was true that Robinvale was facing great health-care challenges in a town with only one GP.
“There’s been a long-term issue with getting doctors to Robinvale,” she said, adding that any GP considering a move there would “know they’re going to be swamped” by patients.
Ms Cupper said she had successfully lobbied the State Government for funding to create a master plan for the future of health care in the Murray River irrigation town, which officially has a population of about 3400, but which is believed to actually be home to more than 7000 people. Thousands more live there temporarily during harvest periods.
The Nationals’ candidate for Ms Cupper’s seat at the November election, Robinvale resident Jade Benham, said health services in the area needed “a complete overhaul” and were an example of why Coalition parties were pledging to redirect $35 billion of Labor transport funding to health.
“For a town the size of Robinvale to have only one GP is really worrying,” she said.
Ms Benham said she was not aware of any government appointments to the board, but welcomed any support that would help it manage the current crisis.
She said that if the Coalition won government and she won the seat, she would work to ensure Robinvale received the funding it needed. If elected to the seat, but not in government, she would continue to advocate for it.
Ms Cupper said that while election funding commitments from political parties were welcome, solutions to complex problems needed to be “evidence based” and that this was why a master plan was required.
She also welcomed Labor’s election commitment this week to fund 25 “paramedic practitioners” around the state and wanted one of these based at Robinvale.
Such paramedics, who take on some of the tasks of GPs, have already successfully worked from Ouyen in a pilot program heavily supported by Ms Cupper.
“I’ve advocated for nearly three years for an advanced role for paramedics, especially in our smaller rural centres like Ouyen and Robinvale, so it’s great that the message is being heard,” she said, although she cautioned that paramedic locations were yet to be announced.
“I want to see a paramedic practitioner located at Mallee Track Health & Community Service in Ouyen and Robinvale District Health Services in Robinvale at minimum,” she said.
The Guardian has sought comment from acting RDHS chief executive Denise Parry.
