SA Labor leader Peter Malinauskas completed a whistlestop tour of the South East last week and came armed with plenty of multi-million-dollar healthcare commitments if his party wins government at the State Election.
The centrepiece of a $57.2m Limestone Coast Health funding policy would be a major upgrade of the Mount Gambier Hospital.
Mr Malinauskas announced the full health policy during his visit, and said an elected Malinauskas Labor Government would invest over $23.9m towards the Mount Gambier Hospital upgrade.
The investment would include an $8m upgrade to the facility’s emergency department, $11.2m to double the mental health unit with an additional six beds and $4.7m to fit-out and operate two dedicated drug and alcohol detox beds.
Mr Malinauskas said doubling the number of mental health beds would relieve pressure on the general hospital ward.
“The demand for mental health services is not going away,” he said.
“In fact, most people expect it will grow into the future, particularly post-COVID, so we have to plan for the future.”
Mr Malinauskas said the investments would ensure people with mental health conditions or drug and alcohol addictions have faster access to the care they need, closer to home.
He said although it was inevitable that some services could only be delivered in Adelaide, services should be delivered locally whenever possible.
Mr Malinauskas said regional areas were not receiving the same level of health service as metropolitan Adelaide and the region’s healthcare system was a concern constantly raised with him.
“We are serious about ensuring every single South Australian, no matter the postcode, has access to good healthcare and good facilities, as close as possible to their homes and their loved ones,” he said.
Mr Malinauskas said he would fund the health policy by scrapping the Liberal Government’s proposed $662m inner-city Adelaide basketball stadium, reinvesting the money into regional health instead.
“I have decided that I am not going to do the city basketball stadium and we’re going to prioritise this instead,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“It’s about doing the right thing, and the whole system benefits if you make that investment,” he said.
The funding package also includes $7.4m for 24 additional paramedics and ambulance officers across the region by July 2024, $3.5m for four additional community drug rehabilitation beds in Mount Gambier, an $8m Naracoorte Hospital upgrade and $9.75m to secure a seven-year funding agreement with Keith and Districts Hospital.
Shadow Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton said these projects addressed the key issues raised by the community.
“Each funding component in this package works towards modernising and upgrading vital health infrastructure and hiring more health workers in the region,” Mr Picton said.
“Which will play a role in attracting and retaining both services and staff in the region.”
