There’s nothing pleasant about sitting in Inverell Emergency Department for more than four hours vomiting into a sick bag.
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Delungra couple Michael and Rena Valiukas said they sat there from before 8pm until after midnight, waiting for assistance.
Rena was sick in the stomach and vomiting.
They were one of four parties waiting: two women with babies and a father with a teenage daughter were also waiting.
About 10pm the father and daughter gave up and went home without being treated.
At midnight, Mr Valiukas asked when treatment would begin.
“I could have driven to Armidale and back in the time we waited,’’ he said.
“Sign the petition, people.
“I’ve been here since 1973 and shortly after that they were talking about a new hospital – so I’m not holding my breath but sign the petition and let’s see if we can get something done,’’ he said.
“They need to communicate with us: you don’t stand outside a bakery if there’s no bread.
“Why wait at an emergency department for hours if there is no doctor?”
The petition calls for action to address the staffing issues.
It had garnered up to 792 signatures by Wednesday 11am.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall will take the first tranche of petitions to his meeting with the CEO of Hunter New England Health, Michael DiRienzo.
He will be accompanied to the meeting by Inverell Mayor Paul Harmon.
The two men want answers to the ongoing problem of filling the roster at the emergency department of Inverell Hospital.
Mr Marshall said after the hard-fought battle to secure $30 million to redevelop Inverell Hospital, with planning at its final stages, the community needed guarantees about doctor coverage in the hospital.
“The community’s confidence in their health service has been shaken and ultimately the value of spending $30 million redeveloping a hospital that doctors are unavailable at for three days during a week is being queried,” he said.
The petition will be available to sign until December 23 and will be tabled in the NSW Parliament after that.
New places to sign the petition are:
- First National Real Estate Agency in Byron St.
- Tingha Post Office and Bundarra General Store.
- You can also sign at
- Inverell Shire Council Administration Office – Otho Street
- Inverell Shire Library – Campbell Street
- Inverell Pharmacy, Inverell Furniture Court, Inverell Times – Byron Street
- Campbell and Freebairn Chemist – Otho Street
- Inverell Newsagency – Otho Street
- Andersons Carpets – Lawrence Street
- Australia Cafe, Inverell.
- Ashford Post Office
- Skybridge Financial, Inverell
