Dr Narayanan Jayachandran was made a Freeman of the City earlier this year. Photo: Marie Raccanello Photography.
Veteran surgeon and Griffith Citizen of the Year Dr Narayanan Jayachandran has made a passionate plea to his fellow residents to attend a rally this weekend on breaking away from the Wagga health services establishment.
“Once again, Griffith is on the threshold of something momentous,” the man best known as ‘Dr Jaya’ said.
“On 13th August 2017, we staged a rally and won a hospital for Griffith. Eight years later, that hospital has opened its doors to our community, but the big problem is that we are not allowed to deliver services the way we want. A lot of what we demanded for the new hospital was denied.”
Dr Jaya has thrown his support behind a bill NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton has introduced in parliament to form a new ‘Western Riverina Health District’.
If passed, it would release Griffith Base Hospital from the control of Wagga-based bureaucracy, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD), which currently makes decisions on staffing and services.
This bill was also supported by an open letter from the Medical Staff Council – which represents doctors and specialists at the hospital.
“This really is a case of doctor knows best,” Mrs Dalton said.
“The medical staff at the Griffith Base Hospital are dedicated to the well-being of patients and their families.
“They know what needs to be done to achieve better health outcomes in our region, and it’s high time we got a health district of our own.”
A Griffith child who breaks a bone during weekend sport faces a two-hour drive to Wagga for treatment. Photo: Flickr/Richard Masoner/Cyclelicious.
Dr Jaya was given the Australia Day award honour earlier this year for his 22 years of service in saving lives at the public Griffith Base Hospital and St Vincent’s Private Community Hospital next door.
He’s also been a long-time advocate against funding cuts and on the frontline of protests for better services. He says there’s one reason why Griffith residents still have to travel two hours to access a lot of basic services.
“Wagga Wagga holds the reins of power,” he said.
“The head office of the area health service, since its inception over 25 years back, first as the Greater Murray Area Health Service, then Greater Southern Area Health Service and finally as the MLHD, has been in Wagga Wagga.
“All the funding has to come through them. They control everything. Griffith lost control except for when we won the new hospital. That happened because about 1500 people gathered in the Memorial Park and said, ‘We need a new hospital’.
“Once again, we need our community to stand up and say, ‘We have had enough! We want control back in Griffith. We need to split’.
“We lost our laundry, kitchen, blood bank, CSSD (central sterile services department), palliative care service, and so much more. We have been fighting for orthopaedics and mental health services nonstop to no avail.”
MLHD has insisted it remains committed to serving the Western Riverina, despite the calls from locals.
“Splitting MLHD would have a detrimental impact on existing healthcare pathways and create unnecessary additional layers of administration,” an MLHD spokesperson said.
“Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) is committed to providing timely, efficient and appropriate care to patients in every part of the district.
“Wagga Wagga Base Hospital is the only rural referral-level facility in MLHD, and it serves as a vital hub for specialist healthcare services to every part of the district. It is also the designated regional trauma service for the district.”
Region asked Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, who has previously opposed an MLHD split, for comment. However, he was unavailable.
The MLHD protest will take place at Memorial Park, 363 Banna Avenue, at midday on Saturday 20 September.
