By PEACE IJIYERA
THE state government has committed to delivering a free dental clinic for all ages in the Latrobe Valley if re-elected in this month’s state election.
Last week, Finance Minister Enver Erdogan, announced this election promise at Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS). Joining him to make the announcement was Labor candidate for Morwell, Tracie Lund, candidate for Gippsland East, Sonny Stephens and LCHS Chief Executive, Paul Ostrowski.
Labor previously announced plans to deliver 10 free dental clinics across the state in August. Now, an additional 10 clinics have been announced.
The dental clinics are a $230 million investment that Labor says it “can afford”.
Opening from July 2027, 14 of the clinics will be in Melbourne and six in regional Victoria.
No appointment is required as these clinics will be treated as walk-ins. Check-ups and procedures including fillings, root canals and extractions, will be available. Urgent cases, including dental pain, swelling and accidental injuries, will be prioritised at the clinic in Morwell. The clinics will be open every day, 9am to 9pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on weekends.
Mr Erdogan told media present that dental health care is “essential health care”.
“Nobody should be limited to treatment to dental care due to their pay packets or their postcodes. They shouldn’t have to make the tough choices [between] providing for their families or getting the treatment they urgently need,” he said.
Ms Lund said community and health investments will benefit people in Latrobe.
“I’ve seen firsthand how many people in our community put off going to the dentist because they simply can’t afford it,” she said.
“A free dental clinic here in the Latrobe Valley is about fairness, dignity and making sure local people can get the care they need, when they need it.”
To build the workforce and bring more dentists to the public system, Labor is proposing a $30,000 sign-on bonus for workers to join regional areas and $20,000 to join metro areas.
This is a $5 million investment on top of the workforce attraction package, which includes relocation support and clinical scholarships.
Mr Erdogan said eight dentists would initially be hired at the Morwell clinic.
When asked if there were any other incentives to attract workers to regional areas, Mr Erdogan said he believes the offering of a $30,000 bonus will be “enticing” enough.
He also highlighted a distinction between private and public healthcare. He described public healthcare workers as being more “passionate about making change” and mentioned their commitment to meeting patients “where they’re at”.
“I believe that we will find a lot of passionate dentists that want to make that transition,” Mr Erdogan said.
Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch (ADAVB) welcomed the election promise, but urged a re-elected Carroll government to get the details right and prioritise those in need.
“Expanding access must not further lengthen already long waiting times for people already in the system, reduce the number of dentists in areas of greatest need, or result in publicly eligible and underserved populations paying fees while others receive care for free,” the association said.
“The test for every commitment is whether it reaches the people with the greatest need first, and whether there is a realistic and sustainable plan to staff it.
“ADAVB welcomes clarity on how pledges will meet the priorities for a fair oral health system before election day,” ADAVB president, Dr Carolyn Ng said.
In July, ADAVB revealed that the average wait times for community dental services in Victoria was 15 months. In Morwell, the average wait time was 19.8 months.
The Nationals’ Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, was approached for comment.
