Stephen Wade has become the first Health Minister in more than eight years to visit Millicent and District Hospital.

The minister made an unheralded two-day visit to the region last week and also toured the Mount Gambier, Naracoorte and Kingston hospitals.

He spoke to SA Health staff and members of health advisory councils.

A motion to invite Mr Wade to Millicent was passed at the 2019 annual general meeting of the Millicent and District Health Advisory Council.

The meeting was told by a community member the last health minister to visit Millicent was Labor’s Jack Snelling in early 2013.

He went on an hour-long tour after he had just changed portfolios from treasury to health.

Mr Snelling’s four immediate predecessors in the role (Labor MPs John Hill and Lea Stevens and Liberal MPs Dean Brown and Dr Michael Armitage) all had first-hand knowledge of Millicent Hospital.

Between 1968-1970, the Health Minister was Liberal Upper House member Ren DeGaris, of Millicent.