Earlier this year the Liberal Opposition was castigating the Labor government for refusing to reveal it's plans for Wollongong's Bulli hospital. This week the Labor Opposition is castigating the Liberal government because no spending on Bulli hospital was included in the just released stater budget.
It seem that Bulli hospital is " the hospital you have - when you are not having a hospital ! "
It sits there in all it's glory and it has patients and staff - but whether or not it's emergency department is working seems to depend on the flip of a coin. Some days it is open. Some days it is not - and the usual reason given is " availability of a doctor ".
At the same time, Wollongong hospital lurches from crisis to crisis with it's emergency department often suffering " ambulance block ". The city's entire ambulance fleet is stuck in the carpark because the ER is overloaded - and the ambulance crews have to attend their patients until the triage crew can reduce the blockage.
Just to add farce to this situation - ambulance crews are not permitted to take patients to Bulli emergency department - when it is open !
So - we have the ridiculous situation of a hospital with doctors and nurses looking after patients, but it seems that no doctor can be spared to man it's emergency department, while patients with minor injuries that could be attended at Bulli are stuck in a queue in Wollongong - because that ER is overloaded !
It's simply " theatre " in the shadow boxing display that is called politics.
Both sides of politics wants to shut Bulli hospital to save money - and are mesmerised by the acres of prime home sites that it occupies - but neither are willing to admit it.
The present situation gives credence to that old saying. " The more things change - the more they remain the same ! "
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