We want what we want, and we won't be put off

I was with quite a large crowd of disenfranchised constituents who rallied armed with placards and a large banner proclaiming "We want our rehab back!"

They assembled outside the Ettalong Club on Thursday, March 19, to leave no doubt in the mind of MP Marie Andrews what they wanted done.

The gathering was organised by Rona Nelson from Umina who could be seen on NBN3 News that night, forthrightly pointing out that our Woy Woy Public Hospital owes its very existence to public subscription and the hard work of hundreds of women who knitted tea cosies, sold lamingtons and ran raffles to get our public hospital in place.

This was all at a time when the population on the Woy Woy Peninsula was perhaps one-fifth what it is today.

The same resourcefulness is happening again on the Woy Woy Peninsula with people calling for more petition forms and others calling to report they are going out door knocking for signatures these people are putting in the hard yards and it is appreciated I understand but don't actually know the hospital property on Ocean Beach Rd, Woy Woy, was gifted in perpetuity for the Public Hospital.

We would all like to know for certain just what is what with our important public medical amenity.

I am confident someone who is a part of our Peninsula community will be able to write in to the Peninsula News or attend out next meeting on Saturday, April 4, at 2pm at the St Lukes Church Hall, and tell us a lot more about just what it is which is being interfered with by the State Government.

I personally find it offensive that the Minister for Health and Minister for the Central Coast John Della Bosca and the Member for Gosford Marie Andrews keep deflecting this red hot political issue away from them toward paid government minions inside NSW Health.

These are unelected people who have been running our hospital system into debts of well over $27 million locally, much more state wide.

The same people who can't manage a budget of over $1.5 billion all our taxes, are the ones John Della Bosca and Marie Andrews continue to hide behind.

When our community leaders delegated to go to Marie's office some weeks ago to lobby her support for the return of the 30 beds, they are blocked by Mat Hanrahan and Terry Hayes who were there to dish out the same spin handed out every time people wish to get the point across to elected reps.

We want what we want and we won't be put off.

We want our 30 rehabilitation beds back in Woy Woy Public Hospital and the level of service lifted.

The bus is no substitute for an important medical amenity plus all the jobs and support which goes with it, estimated to contribute between $500,000 and $750,000 to our community each year.

Edward James, Umina