Cooke demands major health upgrades across electorate

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has called for the state government to commit to major health infrastructure upgrades across the electorate, including a modern multipurpose service for Grenfell. Speaking in parliament last Thursday, Ms Cooke highlighted growing concerns about access to timely and quality healthcare across regional NSW saying many residents are feeling the strain. "In Grenfell, the community has been granted nine bed licences by the Commonwealth Government-beds that the existing facility simply cannot accommodate," Ms Cooke told parliament. "That community needs a modern multipurpose service that can house those beds and the staff who go with them." Ms Cooke also renewed calls for a brand-new hospital in Cootamundra and a new hospital for Coolamon-Ganmain arguing that current infrastructure is no longer meeting the needs of growing and ageing populations. She told parliament that across regional NSW access to healthcare is becoming harder to guarantee with families often forced to travel long distances for services that should be available locally. "Rural people do not need to read the health statistics to know something is not right, and it is not fair," she said. "Every day they see it when emergency departments are under pressure, when beds are limited, and when families are told they must travel hours to receive care that should be available close to home." The issue came to a head in Cootamundra last year when a draft health services plan proposed cuts to inpatient beds, surgical and birthing services and the closure of the town's pathology laboratory. The proposal sparked strong community backlash with more than 10,000 people signing a petition to keep the laboratory open. Ms Cooke said the campaign highlighted broader concerns about the state of health infrastructure in the region. "What that community needs is not a slow erosion of services. It needs a clear commitment to the future," she said. She pointed to the construction of a $95 million hospital in Temora as an example of what can be achieved through sustained advocacy but said other towns should not be left behind. Ms Cooke also called for previously announced plans for a new hospital in Coolamon to be revived after she said they were shelved following a change of government. "The message from these communities is not complicated," Ms Cooke said. "They are asking for the basic services that allow people to receive safe and timely care close to home." Ms Cooke said that while she has secured significant funding for health projects including $110.2 million for a hospital in Cowra, more investment is needed. She urges the government to commit to the three key projects: a modern multipurpose service for Grenfell, a brand new hospital for Cootamundra and a new hospital for Coolamon-Ganmain. "People in regional NSW deserve more than patch-and-dispatch health care. "They deserve hospitals built for the future and a health system that treats rural communities with the same priority and respect as every other community in this state," Ms Cooke added.