The moves follow the submission of the final report of the Pambula Health Service Community Engagement Committee (PHSCEC) into the hospital’s future and especially after the new South East Regional Hospital at Bega is completed.

Members of the committee believe there is no funding allocation for Pambula hospital after the new hospital opens and while they want to see Pambula hospital continue to function, they believe it should not be at the expense of another medical facility.

The committee, led by independent chairman, Les Stahl, submitted its final report on the future of health services at Pambula hospital, to the Southern NSW Local Health District in January, following a year long investigation. At the same time letters were sent to both member for Bega, Andrew Constance and Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, asking for their support for the recommendations that the report contained.

Mr Constance told the Eden Magnet: “As the state's Treasurer I can confirm that Pambula hospital will be recurrently funded. Jillian Skinner has committed to keeping Pambula hospital open.

“Budget setting commences Monday after the election and I hope to meet with the Minister about the committee's recommendations.”

Mr Stahl said: “The major concern of PHSCEC members was that the state health office in Sydney might try to rob Peter to pay Paul in funding Pambula hospital. Committee members are adamant that the monies needed to keep Pambula hospital open for the future should be genuinely new monies, not monies taken from any other, equally deserving health service in the district.”

Labor candidate for the seat of Bega, Leanne Atkinson said: “I live in this community with my family and know how important health services are. I believe Pambula hospital is an important asset that we need to protect. And, I am happy to fight for the community to ensure that the community's voice is heard.”

But Ms Atkinson also said that she would not make promises she could not keep.

Mr Stahl said: “In the short-term the committee considers that Pambula hospital and health service, operating as a complementary satellite service, fully integrated with the new hospital, should provide a broad range of local community health and hospital services for the communities of the Far South Coast.”

Among the 39 recommendations made by the committee, were keeping some form of emergency or urgent walk-in care available to the community at Pambula hospital, maintaining between 12-14 inpatient beds, allowing minor hospital procedures that do not require a general anesthetic and capital works to allow consulting rooms to be built for visiting specialists and local GPs.

Chairperson of the Health District Board Jenny Symons said that the Health District was “doing its best to support the 39 recommendations but that it all depended on future funding allocations”.

Membership of the committee has broad community representation including SOHI members, as well as representatives of the Health District and Pambula Hospital. 

Mr Stahl said: “The committee has done its work on behalf of the community and it was now up to the Health District and the Health Minister to act on the recommendations and decide what kind of future Pambula Hospital will have.”

The full Future Health Services Report is available to read at  www.snswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/community-engagement/page