Council
20 March, 2025
MP calls for the delivery of an election promise
SOUTH West Coast MP Roma Britnell has called on the Victorian Government make good on the promise of delivering a vital piece of medical equipment to the region.
Ms Britnell called for the Allan Labor Government to deliver a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner, used to diagnose cancer, heart disease and brain disorders, in a recent parliamentary sitting.
She asked why a PET scanner had not been provided despite the government making the $44 million commitment to deliver eight new PET scanners across the state ahead of the 2022 Victorian election.
Ms Britnell said the community was still waiting on the delivery of the technology to South West Healthcare in Warrnambool to prevent patients from travelling to Geelong, Ballarat or even Melbourne or Adelaide for critical scans.
“There will be people unable to travel, who will miss out on early detection of cancers and the opportunity to have successful treatment,” she said.
“Warrnambool has two local potential providers - Lake Imaging and Lumus Imaging operating at South West Healthcare, which could manage the PET-CT scanning service for the South West Coast.
“Lumus Imaging need the new Warrnambool Base Hospital to be built before they have space for the PET scanner.
“We were promised that the new hospital would be built by 2026.
“Given the state government’s record of never completing a project on time, the new date of 2027 is wildly optimistic.”
Ms Britnell said it was “unfathomable” the technology would not be delivered until at least 2027 – five years after having been promised – despite there being a suitable location at Lake Imaging at St John of God Hospital.
“Lake Imaging have secured the necessary space, developed plans, engaged a fit-out company, sourced the required equipment, and have the staff and community support in place,” she said.
“Lake Imaging can offer this service bulk billed to all Medicare-eligible patients, ensuring accessibility for those who need it most.”
They approached the Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas in early September 2024 and offered if the government funded the promised PET-CT scanner, they could have it installed and operational by January 2025.
“We’ve still got no delivery date.”
Ms Roma Britnell MP said she had been raising in the Parliament the delivery of a PET-CT scanner to the south west community does not need to wait until the new hospital is built.
“Despite repeated attempts by myself and Lake Imaging to engage with the government, they remain silent,” she said.
“The Northern Hospital in Epping received their PET-CT scanner six months ago, while the South West Coast still misses out.”
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