Hundreds of regional Victorians have today rallied in the small town of Mansfield, expressing outrage against a potential shake-up of the state's hospital system. The Labor government insists health funding is growing and vowed that no hospitals will close. But residents are demanding certainty over the future of their local healthcare facilities.
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00:00A small town with big fears about the future of its hospital.
00:06We have a clear message, you've got to listen to our community.
00:09Hundreds of people gathered in Mansfield in the state's high country today, protesting
00:14against potential health care changes.
00:16I don't think the government really gets it, that the distance plays a big role and you've
00:21got to service the local community and it's a big community.
00:24The Victorian government insists no hospitals will close as it explores changes to the state's
00:29health system, including funding cuts to some regional health services.
00:34It argues some hospitals such as the one in Mansfield are operating under capacity and
00:39could be better used to relieve pressure in other areas.
00:43What I would love to see, and I think all Victorians would love to see, is our hospitals
00:48working better as a system and decisions about people's care being driven by getting that
00:54person as close to home as possible, as soon as possible.
00:58One way that could be achieved is by merging hospital management boards, but that idea
01:02has angered locals.
01:04If our hospital is managed by a group that are two and a half hours away or two hours
01:10away, they won't know what's going on in town, they won't know what we need here.
01:15We think it will result in cost cutting that will ultimately flow through to a loss of
01:22services that are fairly critical to the town.
01:25Hospital mum Emma has worked at Mansfield Hospital for the past decade.
01:29Two days ago she was a patient, giving birth to her son Harry.
01:34I wouldn't have wanted to have him anywhere else.
01:37She says the Mansfield community has always valued having a locally managed hospital.
01:43Especially having kids growing up in the community, it's so important to have care that's local.
01:53The government says no decisions have been made as it continues to consider expert advice.