McLeish calls for State Government to support Mansfield District Health build

State Liberal Member for Eildon, Cindy McLeish has called on the State Labor Government to commit funding to invest in developing Mansfield District Hospital’s Master Plan.

Mansfield District Hospital’s Master Plan was submitted to the Building Authority in November 2019 and involves building a new hospital, Community Health and High Needs Centre on new land in Mansfield.

Speaking in Parliament, Ms McLeish said, “Mansfield’s population is booming, growing at 3.5 per cent per annum. Many young families are moving to the area and the hospital needs to expand and modernise to accommodate growing numbers.”

The current facilities at Mansfield District Hospital are not able to keep pace with the communities changing needs, which has been evident during the pandemic. The Urgent Care Unit is often at capacity during the ski season each year and the nearest aged care facility other than Mansfield District Hospital is 65km away.

Unfortunately, hospital facilities had approximately $50,000 worth of damage done in the recent earthquake where Mansfield was close to the epicentre.

The hospitals original building was built in 1870 and refurbished in 1935. For years the hospital has covered up cracks and worked around the faults and limitations.

Ms McLeish continues, “It is just as important to provide modern health and medical facilities in regional and rural areas as it is in metropolitan Melbourne.”

“Surely the State Labor Government can understand the urgency of actioning the Master Plan to build a new hospital and commit to investing to ensure the project goes ahead without further delay,” Ms McLeish concludes.