ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
LATROBE Regional Hospital will receive a new women’s health clinic under new promises from the state government announced in the budget.
The Victorian State Budget announced a $71 million package that creates 20 new women’s health clinics at public hospitals, including eight in regional Victoria, with one at Latrobe Regional Hospital.
Victorian Treasurer, MP Tim Pallas said, “This Budget boosts the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund by $300 million, so our regional and rural health services can be upgraded with operating theatres and medical equipment. Since this Fund began in 2016, we have financed over 480 projects and with today’s funding boost, our investment will total $790 million.”
According to widespread research, gender equality contributes to better health. So, work to improve women’s health is helped by gender mainstreaming that addresses women’s specific health needs.
The Victorian Department of Health says it works to ensure women have access to the full range of quality services that they need, and with this announcement of a specific women’s health clinic at Latrobe Regional Hospital, the state government showcases a commitment to improving health outcomes for women in the region.
Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said, “Regional Victorians should be able to get the healthcare they need, when they need it, close to home. Our investments in the West Gippsland Hospital and Latrobe Regional Hospital will make sure they can.”
“For too long, women’s pain has been ignored, dismissed, or treated like a niche issue. Our new comprehensive women’s health clinic at the Latrobe Regional Hospital will give women and girls the care they need for acute and chronic conditions which often go undiagnosed,” she added.
A comprehensive new women’s health clinic at the Latrobe Regional Hospital will change the way women’s health issues are treated, providing care and support for conditions like endometriosis, pelvic pain, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), perimenopause and menopause.
This comes a year after the state government established the Latrobe Community Health Clinic in Morwell. The small clinic has served as a women’s sexual health and reproductive clinic servicing all of Latrobe Valley.
According to the budget papers the womens clinics will help overcome some of the barriers to treatment that women face such as cost, confidentiality, geographical location of services, cultural and communication differences. The clinics will mean women can access specialists – gynecologist, urologist, along with specialist nursing and allied health in one spot, making it easier and faster to get the world–class care women need and deserve.
The Victorian Women’s Health Services Network (WHSN) welcomed the budget announcements, recognising that the governemnt followed through on their election commitments.
WHSN Chair and Women’s Health Loddon Mallee Chief Executive Officer Tricia Currie, said the network looked forward to working with the government to ensure the funding commitments in this budget were available for all women.
“We are pleased to see the Victorian Government commitment to women’s health,” Ms Currie said.
“The investment in the women’s health clinics is most welcome and we look forward to future investment in primary prevention and health promotion because we know that this work stops illness.”
“Women are at the heart of many of the objectives put forward in this budget, and it is vital the lived experience of women’s health and wellbeing is centred in our work going forward.
Evidence submitted by the Women’s Health Services to the State Government in 2022 based on the Australian Social Values Bank shows that for every $1 of primary prevention investment in the women’s health sector, the return on investment is $468.00 to the community in value.
