Local health leaders are awaiting more details on a $52 million package promised by South Australia's new Labor government for upgrades to the Limestone Coast's health services.
Limestone Coast Local Health Network Governing Board chair Grant King said there were a number of projects embedded in Labor's pre-election announcements that would support the needs of the region's health network.
"Mental health, aged care, ambulance services, further infrastructure — they are all very important areas where we need further work," he said.
"Staffing, accessing nurses, midwives and GPs … are really important as well."
Ambulance Employees Association state councillor Andrew Shouksmith shared Mr King's concerns, saying ambulance coverage was in "desperate need" of funding.
Labor promised to invest $7.4 million into the ailing system, allowing for an additional 18 paramedics and six ambulance officers to facilitate a 24 hour, seven days per week, paramedic service based at Mount Gambier.
The funding will also allow for two 12-hour regional transfer crews based in Mount Gambier and Keith.
Mr Shouksmith welcomed the funding, noting it had been more than a decade since Mount Gambier had received additional ambulance crews.
"This will go a long way to rectifying that problem."
The incoming government promised the new crews would be in place by July 2024.
Concerns about safety in workplace
Security has been a longstanding concern at Mount Gambier Hospital with ongoing issues around the adequate staffing of security guards to support nursing staff.
In the lead-up to the election, Labor announced an $8 million investment into the emergency department at the Mount Gambier Hospital to increase capacity and improve safety and security for staff and patients.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation chief executive officer Elizabeth Dabars said she looked forward to further discussions with the government on strategies to eliminate violence and aggression towards hospital staff.
"We have long had a strategy that we've been advocating for — it's a 10-point plan in violence and aggression," she said.
"It includes making sure … people are educated on how to handle the issue and that issues are, in fact, taken seriously by management and executives.
Mental health boost
The Labor Party also promised $11.4 million to double the hospital's mental health unit with six additional beds, $4.6 million to operate two drug and alcohol detox beds, and $3.5 million to boost drug and alcohol services within the community.
Mr King said the mental health and substance abuse funding would be critical in developing the local health network's ability to provide dedicated care for regional patients.
"We have had circumstances where mental health patients have had to be treated in other parts of the hospital outside of the dedicated unit," he said.
Ms Dabars also welcomed the funding.
"So we we think that the investment in having more mental health beds, and additional drug and alcohol detox beds is a very positive thing."
