‘Disgusting’: Children’s Ward closure enrages Gympie residents

Multiple men and women across the Gympie region have come forward with their stories of the impact on their families from the closure of a dedicated Children’s Ward at the Gympie Hospital.

Families and individuals across the Gympie region have come forward to condemn the closure of a dedicated Children’s Ward at the Gympie Hospital.

One Gympie mother-of-two, Anna Tennant, said she was a regular patient as a child and now made trips with her son, who also suffered from asthma.

After first hearing the news of the hospital’s loss of paediatric services, Mrs Tennant said she thought it was a rumour.

“I couldn't imagine why they would get rid of it,” she said.

“All of our admissions have been in the middle of the night, and it would be very frustrating to be sent to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in the middle of the night for something non-critical.”

Another Gympie mother-of-two, Jazzy Patfield, also took a stance against the closure after she and her nine-month-old son were forced to spend the night in emergency.

Miss Patfield was told her son Maverik needed to be monitored overnight with a temperature and was “shocked” to discover that the Children’s Ward was no longer operating.

“It makes me angry you know with families with sick kids they’ve got to travel so far just to get help if not sleep in a emergency room,” Miss Patfield said.

“It’s unfair on parents and kids.

“They need to take action and look around at these families.”

Other residents have spoken up on Facebook, with many describing the move as “disgusting” and pointing out the need for more services due to Gympie’s rapidly growing population.

Lloyd Gamble said on social media that the services should never have been removed from the hospital in the first place.

“Instead it should of been upgraded to handle a bigger population,” Mr Gamble said.

Karen McDermott said her granddaughter needed paediatric care for the first three years of her life and stayed at the Gympie Hospital multiple times.

“Thank god it was open then because this is where all her family is,” Ms McDermott said.

“The thing I don’t understand is how Gympie Council can spend $65,000 on the Christmas tree in the park instead of putting it towards the Children’s Ward.” (Editor’s Note: Funding of the Gympie Hospital has nothing to do with Gympie Regional Council; it is a state government responsibility.)

Amanda Mills was also vocal on Facebook, saying the closure made her “angry and “frustrated”.

“It is putting more unnecessary stress on parents and families ... taking up beds (elsewhere) when we have a Children’s Ward here in our own town,” Ms Mills said.

Gympie MP Tony Perrett out the front of the Gympie Hospital, which still has no Children’s Ward.

As the community becomes increasingly concerned about the closure, Gympie MP Tony Perrett is one leader who has been using his voice to raise the issue.

Mr Perrett said he would be meeting with the Sunshine Coast Health and Hospital Service CEO this week to the discuss the matter, after the Gympie Hospital failed to get a mention in Qld Health’s record breaking $21 billion services budget.

The petition will be tabled in Queensland Parliament in late August or early September.

In the meantime, the petition is available for those who believe a Children’s Ward is vital for the Gympie region and can be accessed HERE.

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