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IT'S time to talk about the chair. Manning Health Committee member Sally Crawford this week wheeled it into the spotlight as part of the community campaign to try to secure NSW government dollars for Manning Hospital infrastructure improvements.
The chair is unremarkable, it's ergonomic and hundreds dock near the desks installed in the corridors and offices of Manning Hospital. It's essential equipment, it's not a big ticket item, but the real cost of the chair to the NSW health budget and the Manning Valley community is huge and an issue that Sally wants addressed by the minister for health, Jillian Skinner.
To buy this chair, to buy any hospital supplies, Sally says staff at Manning Hospital must make a call to Parramatta and it will be sourced from a NSW government approved supplier and shipped to the Manning Valley
It was not always this way.
"We used to procure hospital supplies through local suppliers. If we wanted an ergonomic office chair we would just go down to a local store, purchase it and it would be delivered that afternoon," Sally explained.
"Now, it goes through Parramatta, it's twice the cost, six weeks delivery and it's taking business away from the local community.
"Where is the rationale? I can't find any rationale for it in my head and it is not just us. This is every hospital in NSW and lots of communities just like ours must be hurting.
"Where is the accountability? Government by its nature is unwieldy and Jillian Skinner may not be aware of the spin-off and it is just something that she approved.
"We need to get our voices to her, for her to hear it."
Sally's decision to expose the real cost of the chair stems from an increasing frustration at the failure of the NSW government to fund Manning Hospital infrastructure improvements.
Advocacy is in her blood as her father, Fred North was the hospital board chairman for many years and she served on the St Vincent's Hospital Medical Ethics Board for 12 years before joining Manning Health Committee.
"Most people are fed-up to the back teeth with evasions, half-truths and empty promises. They see Port Macquarie, and good-on Port Macquarie as they have now got a fantastic hospital up there but they have had a lot of money thrown at it," Sally said.
"We have a larger catchment area but more particularly,we have a more diverse and problematic population with health issues. We need the money.
"I think each and every one of our citizens deserves the very best hospital treatment but we have to fight for the funding to have that happen.
"I think for too long we have rolled over and accepted second best, or been silent."
Sally is quick to state that "she is very proud of our hospital" and says that "staff do a fantastic job under really difficult circumstances."
"It always looks clean and bright and perhaps if we let it fall into rack and ruin we might get more notice taken of our need for an upgrade."
Sally sees her revelation as "a call to arms" for member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead.
"Steve has got his finger on the funding statistics, but really what I want to do is to get him to look after this place. It's beautiful and things are happening, slowly. The riverbank is beautiful and the main street has a whole different feel. There is so much potential - it's a call to arms," Sally said.
"I think the people of my mother's vintage have a great loyalty to the National Party but many of them that I speak to are starting to see cracks, I don't think it will sway their vote but there is a change."