Community
7 August, 2024
‘Hands Off Our Hospitals’
THE wider Timboon and district community are being encouraged to attend the Hands Off Our Hospitals rally in Warrnambool next week.
The rally is being held following months of rumours and allegations hospital amalgamations are in the works.
Timboon and District Healthcare Service (TDHS) Consumer Advisory Committee chair Bronwyn Rantall is helping to lead the local opposition to any restructure of TDHS.
She said the wider community has been supportive of the campaign, with a community meeting gathering about 130 attendees.
“We started the We support Timboon and District Health Service Facebook page,” Mrs Rantall said.
“Even though we want to join forces with Warrnambool and have a rally, Timboon needs to have an identity.”
Mrs Rantall encouraged the community to attend the rally which will be held in Warrnambool on Friday, August 16 at 1pm.
“The plan is meet at 1pm at central McDonalds and then march down Liebig Street to the Civic Green,” she said.
“Dan Tehan and Roma Britnell will be speaking.
“We want to show there’s not much support for amalgamations.”
Mrs Rantall said she wants to ensure TDHS has it’s own identity long-term.
“The board is silent, the chief executive officer is not allowed to speak, the staff is not allowed to speak,” she said.
“I’m the chair of the Community Advisory Committee for the hospital, but I haven’t signed an order.
“The message we want to give to the minister is the community is not happy about amalgamating because we lose our identity and our voice.”
For further information about the rally planned for next week visit the Hands Off Our Hospitals Facebook page.
The rally is expected to attract representatives from across the south west in a show of force against any planned amalgamations.