My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide a factual update for members of my community on the status of the Maroondah Hospital. Just last week I was updated by representatives of Eastern Health on the great work that they are doing in looking after the health and wellbeing of the people of the Glen Waverley district and the broader east. As a member who represents communities in the eastern suburbs who access their health care at Eastern Health, including at the Maroondah Hospital, I am concerned that the member for Lowan has created unwarranted and gratuitous alarm for my local community by saying that the place is falling apart. I look forward to the minister’s response.
Minister’s Response:
I welcome the opportunity to provide some factual information for the member for Glen Waverley in relation to the incident at Maroondah Hospital today. Eastern Health have now provided an update on their website in relation to a burst pipe that occurred today at the hospital. As one would expect, the safety of patients and staff was the number one priority for the health service, and I can confirm that eight patients have been safely relocated to other wards of the hospital. I can also advise the member and indeed the house that Ambulance Victoria is working with other Eastern Health campuses such as Box Hill to divert emergency patients. Of course, work is already underway, with engineers on site, and rectification works are underway.
It is important that we take this opportunity to clear up this willful misinformation, but I am afraid to say that it does not surprise me, because the member for Lowan has demonstrated on other occasions that she is all about the politics and never about the patients. If I could take the opportunity also to advise the member for Glen Waverley that our government is investing in Maroondah Hospital. As you know, we are redeveloping the hospital, developing a new clinical services tower so that we can continue to deliver for the people of Melbourne’s east. I note that the member for Ashwood was also very interested in the work that we are delivering here at the Maroondah Hospital. I can advise also that since being elected our government has invested more than $6 million in maintenance at Maroondah Hospital, and indeed, as I said, we are getting on with delivering a new emergency department, operating theatres, day procedure facilities and specialist care spaces. So again, one can be in no doubt that when it comes to delivering for the people of Melbourne’s east, only the Allan Labor government can be trusted to do that.
The Hon Mary-Anne Thomas MP
Minister for Health
Minister for Health Infrastructure
Minister for Ambulance Services
