NEXT week the state government will bring down its budget. Locally there is hope the government will have seen fit to make provision for many important works such as a start on rebuilding the Bendigo hospital, significant progress on the building of new secondary schools, and support for council inititiatives like the proposed industrial park at Marong. It is a pity that public perception does not accord the state budget the importance it deserves. Certainly the federal government budget contains bigger numbers, and due to its central taxing powers the national economy is effected most by decisions at that level, but the state budget is, in many respects, the one which more directly influences the local population. In the lead up to the budget, government departments make their bids while councils and the community at large press their MPs for support. Bendigo is certainly in a good position for its claims to have been effectively presented where it counts. Both local members of the legislative assembly are government ministers, while the premier lived here during the 1970s and 80s, and was the federal member for Bendigo from 1983 to 1990. Of all the items on the local agenda, rebuilding Bendigo hospital is the most important project, and is said to be high on the list of priorities. To do the job properly it has been stated something in the order of $400 million is needed for a works program extending over a few years. On this basis an allocation of at least $40 million needs to be provided for a start this year, with the emergency department being just one of the areas to be renewed. Last year the government provided a minimal amount of $2 million to have yet another master plan prepared for the hospital so there appears every reason to expect that the planning work is complete and the work can now begin. Just how serious the deficiencies at the hospital are can be gauged by even a casual visit to either the emergency or oncology departments. These days it is not unusual to see ambulances banked up outside the admissions area, even parking on the nature strip to unload patients, while overcrowding in the waiting room often results in people having to wait outside. Conditions in the oncology department are extremely difficult, and inadequate in almost every way. That the staff manage to work in such circumstances is testiment to their dedication. Similar problems exist in almost every area of the hospital, with the exception of imaging and radiology which are presently well catered for, but for which no provision has been made for expansion. Short-sighted quick fixes have been a hallmark of the way the hospital has been treated in the past. Now is the time for the government to show the way forward. It is with much expectation we await next week’s announcements.
