Councillor Bruce Devereaux joins campaign to save the Gympie Hospital Children’s Ward

A Gympie councillor and father of seven has thrown his weight behind the campaign to save the Gympie Hospital Children’s Ward, saying he struggles to see any benefit in removing one of the region’s few wards in a region on the cusp of exponential growth.

Councillor Bruce Devereaux joins rally for Gympie Hospital Children’s Ward.

Gympie regional councillor, blogger and father-of-seven Bruce Devereaux has joined the fight for the Gympie Hospital Children’s Ward to remain open, alongside concerned local parents.

Mary Valley mother Emily McGourty started a change.org petition in May after it was reported by The Gympie Times the Children’s Ward was facing permanent closure.

That petition quickly amassed more than 3000 signatures and a second petition sponsored by Gympie MP Tony Perrett has attracted only 1000 signatures since it was shared.

Cr Devereaux shared the first petition on his page on May 25 and said not closing the ward was the “very least” that needed to be done for a growing region.

Bruce Devereaux and his family. Photo Patrick Woods / Gympie Times

“In a region widely acknowledged as on the cusp of exponential growth I struggle to see the health benefits to local residents of removing any one of the few hospital wards we have available to us without driving an hour down the road,” he told The Gympie Times.

“Especially where children are concerned and where, as a parent, you’ll want to be with the young patient, and where the child will be wanting family to comfort them.”

Cr Devereaux said he hoped the alterations that “just make sense” will be made to ensure the children’s ward can continue to service the people of Gympie.

“As a father of seven and with many hospital visits under my belt, I can only hope good sense wins out over any short sighted bean counting benefits,” he said.