PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you very much Alan and Corinna and Norm. Thank you very much for your very warm Welcome to Country.
You know, just a little while ago we were witnessing Professor Glenn Guest undertake colorectal surgery and the students were able – they didn’t have to peer over the shoulders of the surgeons as no doubt professor Guest did in his youth. They were able to see, as we were, precisely what the surgeon is seeing.
That was 21st century technology, the most modern technology. And Norm welcomed us here with Corinna with some of the most ancient technology of our country. What an extraordinary performance on the didgeridoo. Let’s hear it again –
[Applause]
So we have ancient technology, modern technology, but tying it all together is a passion, a commitment to serve our fellow mankind. To serve. That’s what this hospital is doing. I know I’m a little late in the opening as you said, it was opened on July 2nd I had some other pre-occupations.
Sarah Henderson, the local member was also pre-occupied as I’m sure was Simon Ramsey with all of the politicians. Dennis Napthine, everyone. All of the pollies were tied up with other democratic institutions.
But it’s great to be here.
We believe, my Government believes, that all Australians must have access to affordable, quality healthcare regardless of whether they live in the city or in regional centres, in rural or remote areas.
Epworth Geelong Hospital plays a vitally important role in providing healthcare services to Victorians living both here and of course further afield in rural and regional Victoria.
For the first time, the Geelong region has a resident neurosurgeon with a specialised neurosurgical unit under development.
Currently, spinal surgery is being performed here at the hospital, with neurosurgery expected to commence next year. That means critical care can be done here, and importantly patients requiring surgery can have their operation and care closer to home and their families. That is critically important.
Now what you’ve created here and I applaud and commend you for it, is a hospital that is – people have said it reminds them of a Hilton Hotel, I think the Hilton Hotel chain has got quite a few hotels that aren’t as good looking as this.
I’m sure it’s comparable to the very best.
But let me say to you how important it is - we all know, you the healthcare professionals best of all – you all know how important a warm working environment is. You all know how important a friendly non-institutional working environment is. People come here in times of great stress. Nobody wants to go to hospital as a patient, people when we go to visit our friends, and our family, we’d rather they weren’t in hospital obviously. So it is a time stress, and you’ve created such a welcoming environment, such a modern environment. It’s a non-institutional feel. So you’ve combined that professionalism and that modernity which Professor Guest was demonstrating with his team a moment ago. But with all of the warmth with – as one of the patients said – feeling that by coming here they have won the lottery.
Your tradition of care at Epworth comes from your beginnings – a 25 bed hospital in Richmond in 1920 to being now Victoria’s largest not for profit healthcare provider.
So I want to congratulate you on what you’ve done here.
I want to now just turn to the question of the relations, or the issue of the relationship with Deakin University. This is enormously important and again I cannot compliment you enough for the way in which the University and Epworth have worked together.
Universities are key drivers of economic growth. You see in this region firm after firm that is connected with and working with Deakin University. Deakin University is an institution that drives the next generation of jobs, the next generation of innovation. Think of carbon revolution here in Geelong, reducing the lightest wheel rims, the best wheel rims anywhere in the world.
Innovation, universities, collaboration are the key.
It is – the University precinct, whether it is around Deakin or around Monash, where I was a few days ago, are vitally important parts of our 21st century economy.
So, I say more power to you.
Do more of it.
The more collaboration between universities, between healthcare, hospitals, between universities and industry the better.
It is critical to ensuring that we stay ahead with the innovation and the jobs and growth that will ensure our prosperity.
So I want to say again, I’m delighted to be here. I’m honoured to be here. I’m amazed by what you’ve created.
It is a great tribute to Geelong, it’s a great tribute to the vision of the Governments, particularly the Victorian Government under Dennis Napthine, to the passion of local MP’s like Sarah Henderson, the most indefatigable member any constituent could ever ask for. Absolutely determined to promote it.
But above all, can I say thank you to all the healthcare professionals here - the doctors, the nurses, the administrators, the leaders.
Believe me, what you are doing – you know that every day you get up to serve humanity. And every day you seek to improve what you are doing. You’re constantly measuring yourself against your own performance and that of your peers.
And what Epworth has done is given you the environment and the technology to exceed in the care you give like you never have before.
So I’m delighted to be here to officially open this hospital.
Thank you.
ENDS