MLHD says no privately raised funding for Griffith health equipment ends up here at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) has denied claims that money raised to support Griffith Base Hospital is being diverted to buy equipment for Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.
Community groups such as the Griffith Base Hospital Auxiliary have often sold raffle tickets and sought donations to buy medical supplies for the local hospital, recently purchasing items such as an Oculus Quest machine for paediatrics, a stretcher bed for oncology and a bladder scanner for the maternity ward.
While these items in particular did benefit Griffith, Murray MP Helen Dalton has cast doubts over how a lot of the privately raised money is spent.
“I want to see people on the street selling tickets for our local hospital, raising money for our local hospital, and that money to stay in our local area, because in the past, it hasn’t,” she said.
“In the past, that money has gone to Wagga, and we, we haven’t even been able to help ourselves. That’s got to change.”
Similar claims have been made on social media and by multiple respondents to a Griffith Council survey on whether the local hospital should break away from the MLHD.
“It is clear to me that the resources donated to Griffith Hospital have been transferred to Wagga,” one survey respondent said, a comment typical of several others.
“Where is our MRI machine? Why do we still rely on the travelling breast screen?”
One person recently commented on the Griffith Community Noticeboard Facebook page: “A Griffith resident at Wagga hospital noticed medical equipment with signage ‘Donated by Rotary Griffith to Griffith Base Hospital’. What’s that saying: ‘what’s yours is ours and mine is mine’.”
MLHD, the Wagga-based administrators who make decisions for Griffith Hospital, says all the above claims are false.
“Donations received for Griffith Base Hospital remain with the hospital in a special-purpose trust account as a restricted financial asset,” an MLHD spokesperson said.
“The balance of these trust accounts is administered by the facility executive for the benefit of the facility and patients in general, or for the specific reason for which the funds were raised.”
MLHD said its hospitals and services received generous donations and sponsorship from many valued charitable organisations, fundraisers, businesses and community members.
“This support helps us improve the experience for patients, visitors and staff in our local hospitals and health facilities,” a spokesperson said.
The claim that Griffith donations are being diverted to Wagga has been one justification, among many, used in the campaign for Griffith to divorce itself from its Wagga administrators.
The recent council survey showed that some 62 per cent of all respondents supported splitting from the MLHD and creating a new Griffith-based administration, while 31 per cent backed staying with the MLHD but establishing a new Griffith hospital board to advise them. Only 3 per cent of respondents supported the existing MLHD model, while 4 per cent were undecided.
If you know more about this story, contact Oliver on 0498 843 181 or email: [email protected].
