The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, has slammed the Labor Government for its continued failure to address the regional health crisis, labelling current public surgery wait times as unacceptable and dangerous.
Ms Benham recently raised concerns with the Minister for Health, demanding an explanation for the increasing delays in both specialist consultations and surgery wait times in regional Victoria. Disappointingly, the Minister failed to directly answer when improvements can be expected.
“I have been contacted by several constituents who have been waiting months just to see a general surgeon,” Ms Benham said. “These delays are putting lives at risk. Category 1 patients should never be left waiting months for an initial specialist appointment.”
She reiterated the urgent need for more doctors in regional communities and called on the Labor Government to take meaningful steps to support and attract healthcare professionals to the regions.
“These wait times are simply unacceptable. Regional Victorians already face significant barriers to healthcare access, and the system is failing them.”
Ms Benham highlighted a disturbing case of a seven-month wait for an initial surgical consultation for a Category 1 patient, calling it “beyond belief.”
“The Labor Government must urgently implement real solutions to increase the number of specialist doctors in our regions and ensure timely access to critical health services,” she said.
“Without targeted action, regional patients will continue to suffer unnecessarily. We are crying out for hospital beds and for doctors and Labor is doing nothing to fix this.”
“Labor cannot manage money, cannot manage health, and regional Victorians are paying the price,” Ms Benham said.
