Dr Narayanan Jayachandran and Dr Warren Hargreaves expressed their frustration over management at the inquiry hearings. Photo: NSW Legislative Assembly.
Claims that the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) blocked specialists from working at Griffith Base Hospital have surfaced at a parliamentary inquiry, as a petition to split the health district surges towards its target of 10,000 signatures.
Senior surgeons told the inquiry doctors willing to relocate to Griffith were turned away because MLHD refused to create positions at the short-staffed hospital.
“There have been … cases where specialists have contacted us seeking to work in the hospital and have been told that no position exists – in particular, a gastroenterologist and a geriatrician, who would both be very valuable members of the staff,” Dr Warren Hargreaves said.
“They were both told that no position exists for them so they can’t be hired. We actually don’t have any autonomy over hiring staff.”
Veteran surgeon Dr Narayanan Jayachandran said the problem stretched back decades.
“The exact number of years we have been fighting is 23 years, since the day I stepped into Griffith Base Hospital. I was asked whether I could fix hip fractures and things, and I said, ‘Don’t you have an orthopaedic surgeon?’ They said no. I said, ‘Do you want me to get one? I have a mate from India and we worked together for 16 years. I’ll bring him.’ But the general manager said, ‘No, they’ll never allow us to have orthopaedics in Griffith,’” Dr Jayachandran said.
Dr Hargreaves also said the town lost its only radiologist because his wife, also a doctor, could not secure a position at the hospital.
Region put the claims – published in an online hearing transcript this week – to MLHD, but the Wagga-based body did not respond.
Marlene O’Connell and Diana Brown make their views clear at a protest outside the parliamentary inquiry. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
The evidence comes as a petition calling for Griffith Base Hospital to break away from its Wagga-based administrators reaches 8200 signatures – more than 80 per cent of its 10,000 target.
If the target is met, the proposal to split the MLHD will be debated in NSW Parliament.
The inquiry is examining a bill introduced by Murray MP Helen Dalton to create a separate western health district, giving Griffith and surrounding communities control over local decisions.
Health advocate Brendan Catanzariti said it was outrageous the MLHD was turning its back on skilled medical practitioners when the Griffith hospital needed staff so desperately.
“We have waited 426 days for our rehab ward to open, but it still hasn’t opened. Our eight-bed step-down ward attached to the emergency department is still not open. We have no emergency orthopaedics and no paediatrician. MLHD are tone deaf to our needs,” he said.
He urged Griffith, Leeton and surrounding town residents to put their names to the petition.
“We are just 1800 signatures away from a landmark opportunity to have our region’s health deficiencies debated in NSW Parliament,” he said.
“This needs to happen urgently. Medical staff have written an unprecedented united letter to Helen [Dalton] out of desperation to break away from MLHD to create better outcomes for our children, our families, our friends and our communities.
The petition must be signed in person and is available at Helen Dalton’s office at 286 Banna Avenue, Griffith. Electronic signatures are not accepted.
