By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong councillors have voiced support for a maternity health service to remain at Dandenong Hospital.
In a motion, they acknowledged the community’s “concern, if not distress” about Monash Health’s abandoned proposal to temporarily relocate the service to Berwick.
The council urged Monash Health to “publicly clarify its position” as the community had “not yet heard or understood” that the proposal was not occurring.
Cr Tim Dark, who moved the 14 February motion, said Monash Health’s initial plans to close the service were confirmed by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.
“Very, very quickly by stealth did they retract and head the other way when they saw the significant media presence and the pressure that was going to come from the community.
“But regardless it was good to see that they have back-tracked and they have publicly clarified their position.”
Cr Dark said maternity services were “critical” in Greater Dandenong, especially with Dandenong Hospital’s specialist care for migrants and people of non-English speaking backgrounds.
Cr Rhonda Garad, who’s had four children at Dandenong Hospital, said access to close-proximity and high-quality maternity service was vital.
The hospital’s “unique” model of maternity care was not replicated in other health settings, she said.
“We need to fight for that and we always will when they suggest they’ll take that from us.”
Meanwhile Cr Richard Lim revealed that he was contacted by Monash Health chief executive Andrew Stripp after publicly criticising the mooted relocation.
A generous benefactor of Monash Health, Cr Lim was allegedly told by Mr Stripp that “the media has misled the public” on the issue and that Dandenong Hospital services were unchanged.
The services’ proposed relocation was first reported by media outlets on 4 February.
After days of widespread public concern, Monash Health finally ruled out shifting maternity and childrens services from Dandenong Hospital.
“No maternity services have been shut down at Dandenong Hospital and no reconfiguration has commenced,” a spokesperson said on 9 February.
“There are no plans to close maternity services at Dandenong Hospital and it is important that women continue to attend appointments at the hospital.”
The proposal was said to be in response to staff shortages due to Code Brown and Covid’s Omicron variant sweeping through the South East.
