By Jed Lanyon
Services for Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG) is pushing to see a dermatology outpatient clinic implemented at Healesville Hospital.
A letter penned by SHHAG’s chairperson Jane Judd and deputy chairperson Fiona McAllister, to Eastern Health requested a video meeting following a “groundswell of support” for the initiative.
SHHAG said they were approached by a community member regarding the idea, then took it to social media where it gained more support from locals.
“Our Facebook page had in excess of 2000 people engaged and 50 individual comments from community members responding positively in just 48 hours,” the letter from SHHAG said.
“It appears some respondents currently access the Box Hill clinic or access non-Eastern Health private clinics, all some distance from Healesville. We hope you (Eastern Health) are open to a discussion on this opportunity to expand services at Healesville, when this becomes possible as a new Covid normal is determined.
“We would like a virtual meeting to explore the viability of this new service given the level of community interest. In preparation for a meeting consultation with the Head of the Dermatology unit Dr John Su, to ascertain whether there is any interest or potential to expand outpatient services to the Healesville site, would be helpful.
“Yarra Ranges has elevated skin cancer rates due to the rural outdoors environment of work and recreation for a substantial proportion of the local population, as you would be aware.”
SHHAG, formerly known as ‘Save Healesville Hospital Action Group’ has long been campaigning for the hospital to offer the medical services that will best serve the community.
