Thursday, 15 August, 2024
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Teenager begged for help, court hears
Hundreds seeking rent, debt relief
Braving the cold for a cause
Defender earns rare honour
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It takes a village Tiny origami houses are making a big statement about homelessness this week. The homes were created by Casey adults and children in workshops ahead of Homelessness Week. In all, about 1800 origami homes were folded throughout all six Connected Libraries branches, including Bunjil Library. More on the story, turn to page 6
Connected libraries staffmember Mitch next to a mini-village on display at Bunjil Place library as part of Homelessness Week. (Ethan Benedicto; 425289)
No forced mergers By Cam Lucadou-Wells A feared $200 million budget cut at Monash Health has been averted in a State Government health services reform announced on 8 August. Victorian hospital executives had reportedly discussed possible bed closures, elective surgery cuts, cancelling breast screening and special-care cots in the face of “significant” funding cuts. Premier Jacinta Allan announced an additional $1.5 billion for hospitals to end months of speculation that hospitals would have to close beds, halt elective surgeries and breast screenings.
It would help cover “record demand” in the emergency department as well as a further 10,000 elective surgeries. According to the Government, hospitals had operated without an agreed budget during Covid and it was “time to return to something a bit more normal”. The Government also announced that health services, such as Monash, would not be forced into merger. An independent Health Services Plan review had recommended the mergers, such as Monash Health and the West Gippsland Health Group
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forming a South Metro LHN (Local Health Network). It also proposed a Bayside LHN combining Alfred Hospital, Kooweerup Regional Health Service and Peninsula Health. Each network would comprise of a major hospital, a women’s and a children’s hospital. In the case of the South Metro LHN, all three would be at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton. In a streamlining move, the LHNs would eventually share IT and payroll functions. The proposed LHN boundaries were still subject to “further consultation with the sector”, ac-
cording to the Government. “The Government will provide guidance to health service boards on principles to underpin Local Health Service Network groupings,” a Government website stated. “Health services will then be able to propose groupings for their region for approval by Government.” The State Government accepted 26 of the review’s 27 recommendations either in-principle or in full, but declined to force mergers. Continued page 4
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