MILDURA Base Public Hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has vastly improved since the Base returned to public hands.

Member for Mildura Ali Cupper said the way the hospital has been dealing with COVID-19 far surpasses the efforts that were being made when the Base was privately run.

“When our hospital was privately run during the pandemic’s early stages, decision makers at the Base were more focused on trying to dismiss veteran obstetricians than on preparing the community for the threat of COVID-19,” she said.

“Now, we have a hospital that is taking a patient-focused approach to healthcare, and this being is made abundantly clear through the team’s ongoing COVID-19 response.”

This week it was announced that Mildura Base Public Hospital will come online as a ‘streaming hospital’.

This will mean more COVID-19 patients can remain in Mildura during their hospital stay, rather than being sent off to Bendigo or Melbourne.

“Terry and his team have been busy making positive changes at the Base for some time, and this added responsibility is a reward for effort,” Ms Cupper said.

“It also shows the increasing level of trust being shown in the capability of the Base as a whole, as Mildura is the first sub-regional health facility to take on a streaming capacity.”

Ms Cupper also said that the consistency of Mildura Base Public Hospital’s health messaging to the public is a refreshing change.

‘They’ve been doing a great job providing updates to the community in a frequent, transparent and insightful way,” she said.

“The staff have always cared for the community, and now management are showing that same level of care and passion and are delivering an example of health services the region can be proud of.”