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Laying of foundation stone begins Midland St John of God hospital’s site
SJOG ‘sets the benchmark’
By Robert Hiini ST JOHN OF GOD set the benchmark for health care services and the people of Midland would be thankful for access to them, State health minister Kim Hames told dignitaries at a foundation laying ceremony on Wednesday, August 8. Dr Hames was joined by his Federal counterpart, Tanya Plibersek, Bishop Donald Sproxton and senior SJOG staff for speeches in an marquee before watching a fly-over video of the public and private hospitals which will be built on the site. After a smoking ceremony and an Indigenous “Welcome to Country”, Bishop Sproxton prayed that God would bless the project and read the parable of the Good Samaritan from the Gospel of Luke. Addressing the presence of a small group of union protestors outside the site, Dr Hames said their concerns about the private provision of public services were more than adequately answered by the quality of care offered at SJOG’s Murdoch and Subiaco hospitals. “Would anybody in this region love to go to one of those hospitals for their care? Of course they would. They are fantastic hospitals and provide an excellent level of service and they are in fact the benchmark of the standard of service in this State,” he said. The Federal Government is contributing half of the public hospital’s $360m construction cost (the total cost of building both hospital’s is $430m). Ms Plibersek said that for the first time, people in the Midland area would have local access to free chemotherapy, highdependency care, coronary care and a dedicated children’s ward. Thanking Bishop Sproxton for sharing the story of the Good Samaritan, Ms Plibersek preferred a theological musing of her own: “It’s a particular favourite of mine but I also think of what [St Vincent de Paul founder, Blessed] Frederic Ozanam said in response to the parable of the good samaritan which is that pouring oil on the wounds of the traveller is charity but preventing the attack in the first place is social justice,” she said. Both Bishop Sproxton and Ms Plibersek welcomed members of the Sisters of St John of God at the gathering, noting the Order’s 117year history in the provision of healthcare in the State. The ceremony followed the State Government’s confirmation on June 14 that St John of God was their preferred contractor for the construction and operation of the new Midland public hospital, signing a 23-year Public Private Partnership with the healthcare group. SJOG’s chair of trustees, Clive Macknay,
Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek is joined by St John of God CEO Dr Michael Stanford and Brookfield Multiplex’s Chris Palandri at the foundation ceremony on August 8. PHOTO: ROBERT HIINI
Catholic-managed model a bridge too far for protestors
Ministers Tanya Plibersek and Kim Hames prepare for the laying of the foundation of Midland’s new hospitals. PHOTO: ROBERT HIINI
said the group had a strong community focus and looked forward to working with infants, young families and troubled youths. The Midland public hospital will have 50 per cent more beds than the Swan District hospital it is replacing.
A SMALL group of protesters met Federal and State politicians as they arrived for the laying of foundations of Midland’s new public and private hospitals on August 8. Made up of members from United Voice and the Health Services Union, the protesters said they were unhappy the State Government had put the management of a public hospital in private hands. “We don’t oppose the Catholic Church running hospitals. We don’t oppose St John of God running hospitals, they do a great job, but we don’t think they should be running public hospitals,” Carolyn Smith, Acting Secretary of United Voice told The Record. The State
Government’s agreement with St John of God that contraceptive and vasectomy services would not be provided by the group, were a “real concern for the whole community”, she said. Convenor of the Save Midland Hospital Action Group Dee Parry, said a public hospital should be “completely secular”. “It should provide all services that secular hospitals provide … St John’s won’t provide a whole range of services, particularly those pertinent to woman.” If a clinic is built on site providing procedures regarded as morally unacceptable by the Church, neither the hospitals nor their staff will be involved in any way.
Police remain on hand as a protestor displays a placard opposing the new campus. PHOTO: ROBERT HIINI
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