Our front-page story last week on the Prime Minister's understanding of the future of Pambula Hospital as a community health centre ruffled a few feathers, and in doing so highlighted again the political football health has become, and how polarising an issue it is.
And so it should be.
Good health, and access to good health services, is a fundamental right of our society. It's one of those no-brainers that individuals and communities expect our politicians to get right, and an issue that can sway election outcomes.
There are many voters in this NSW electorate of Bega who will tell you they voted for Andrew Constance at the March state election on one issue and one issue alone - his promise to keep Pambula Hospital open and restore services to it.
Everyone is watching the local health space very carefully to see what will happen and when.
The NSW Government has a big job ahead of them. They have clearly inherited an unstable structure wobbling about on a very shaky financial base.
They have contributed $10million on top of the Federal Government's $160.1million towards the new regional hospital. They have put another $100,000+ on top of the $300,000 already provided by the Federal Government to purchase and install the new air-conditioning unit at Pambula Hospital thereby enabling ophthalmology services to be provided.
They are in the process of establishing the new district health board to oversee health service delivery.
Time will tell if this necessarily slow, structural work will give us a stable local health system including retainment of Pambula Hospital and restoration of key services, including maternity.
