In The Daily Examiner last Monday:
Health protest rallies, such as this one at Market Square in Grafton, were staged throughout the North Coast on the weekend.
On a steamy, hot Saturday afternoon people came out in their hundreds to deliver a clear and unequivocal message to the Rees Labor Government cuts to health services will not be tolerated.
Scores of people, most of whom would never have protested against anything in their lives, braved the conditions to get their message to government.
Grafton doctor Hugh Calvey, who stressed he was speaking as a private citizen and not as a contractor to the North Coast Area Health Service, said there was a clear reality if the Government proceeded with plans to strip 30 jobs from the Grafton Base Hospital and seven from Maclean and that would be a cut to services.
"The reality is that we would lose nursing staff and if that happens you have to shut something," he said.
"We need all the facilities we have got. Whatever they decide to shut will affect you.
"It is a very serious crisis. The immediate effect would be disastrous; the knock-on effect worse."
Rally organiser and Member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell, said the North Coast Area Health Service had been underfunded for a number of years.
"The funding (resource distribution) formula has been ignored for a number of years," he said.
He said the region had missed out on $70 million a year.
"You can understand why the health service is struggling," he said....
Speakers called on residents to write personal letters to the Premier Nathan Rees the premier@www.nsw.gov.au, Health Minister John Della Bosca office@smos.nsw.gov.au, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd via www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm and Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon Nicola.Roxon.MP@aph.gov.au.
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