17 February 2008

Save RPH campaign goes online

Liberal Leader Troy Buswell and Shadow Health Minister Kim Hames today launched a new website as part of the campaign to Save Royal Perth Hospital.

SaveRPH.com will give Western Australians the opportunity to sign an online petition calling on the Carpenter Government to save the hospital.

The petition will be presented to Part-time Health Minister Jim McGinty.

Mr Buswell said the WA Liberal Party was committed to saving Royal Perth Hospital.

“The Carpenter Government’s decision to shut RPH has angered the Western Australian community,” he said.

“It will close the doors on 153 years of commitment to excellence in patient care, teaching and research.

“Before the 2001 State election, the Labor Party promised it would ‘fix the health system’ in Western Australia.

“You can’t fix the health system by closing the State’s largest hospital.

“I encourage the people of Western Australia to sign the online petition and join the campaign to Save RPH.”

Dr Hames said closing RPH would seriously disadvantage people living in the eastern suburbs of Perth as well as those living and working in or near the CBD.

He said RPH was ideally located for eastern suburb residents with a rail station at the hospital and with easy freeway access from all directions.

“The WA Liberal Party has a plan to Save RPH. We want the hospital to remain open and service people living and working in the CBD and the eastern suburbs of Perth,” Dr Hames said.

“We also want RPH to remain Western Australia’s major trauma centre."

“The WA Liberal Party will continue the fight to Save RPH.”