23 November 2008
Provest's protest: Only people power can save Tweed Hospital
"...Tweed residents will die unnecessarily - it is as simple and tragic as that..."
Tweed Nationals MP Geoff Provest has called a protest rally against new State Labor Government staff and budget cuts to the embattled Tweed Hospital, saying only a massive show of people power could save the institution from further decline.
The rally will be held at 1PM DST on Saturday 29 November on the river side of the hospital.
Simultaneous rallies are being organised in other regional centres including Grafton and Coffs Harbour, following the announcement the State Labor Government is cutting 400 full time jobs from hospitals in the North Coast Area Health Service.
"Labor's razor gang was at the Tweed Hospital where staff were told 29 jobs are to be axed - I am livid. This is the ultimate Labor betrayal of the Tweed," Mr Provest said.
"The Tweed Hospital needs more staff to operate the thirty new beds opened in July. We are already operating at over 100 per capacity."
"If Labor goes ahead with these cuts, Tweed residents will die unnecessarily - it is as simple and tragic as that."
Mr Provest said that as well as ordinary Tweed residents he wanted to see all of the shire's elected representatives at the rally, to show a united front against the Labor Government's downgrading of the troubled hospital.
"The Tweed Hospital is not just 'State Government business', it is everyone's business, and I am pleased North coast Nationals Senator Fiona Nash has already indicated she will attend," Mr Provest said.
The MP also called for sacking of North Coast Area Health Service boss Chris Crawford, saying neither hospital staff or the wider local community had in any confidence in him.
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