THE Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) will not guarantee it won’t close or downgrade Molong District Hospital after the Waluwin Community and Family Centre (HealthOne) opens in Molong in November.
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Concerned Molong residents fear the hospital will be the next in Cabonne shire to suffer cutbacks, following the downgrade of other health services in the region, most recently in Cudal.
The new health centre, a partnership between NSW Health and Cabonne Council, will integrate primary and community health services including general practitioners, community health workers and family day care services.
GWAHS has said the Waluwin centre will enhance health services in Molong but residents fear the hospital will suffer once the centre is operational.
Molong resident Des Sullivan said the hospital had already suffered cutbacks in recent years and he feared further downgrades were inevitable once the new health centre opened.
“If you take a line through history, they’re trying to close the hospital,” Mr Sullivan said.
“It’s slowly but surely being downgraded.”
In the past 10 years, the hospital has lost its maternity ward and operating theatres and no longer caters for minor surgical procedures.
Services, including physiotherapy and speech pathology, have also been reduced and the hospital’s domestic kitchen has transferred to a cook-chill service.
The hospital currently provides a 24- hour, seven day a week emergency service but relies on Rural Remote Medical Consultation Services, based in Bathurst, and specialist advice from Orange Base Hospital when on-call doctors aren’t available.
A statement provided by GWAHS did not guarantee the hospital would remain operational or that services would not be reduced further once the Waluwin centre opened.
NSW Health is currently conducting a statewide review of health facilities but a spokesperson for GWAHS said it had not begun any discussion regarding Molong District Hospital.
“There will be no decisions made relating to the roles of any services prior to consultation with local communities and health employees,” the spokesperson said.
“Health services will continue to be provided to meet the needs of the Molong community.”
Cabonne Council has requested GWAHS address council at its October meeting to discuss issues relating to health services in Cabonne Shire.
