Vic

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2000
Vic:

Victorian Health Minister JOHN THWAITES has accused the opposition of hypocrisy after
it revealed that ambulances were forced to bypass 10 public hospitals at various times
last weekend because of insufficient emergency beds.

Mr THWAITES says the claim is extremely hypocritical.

He's told reporters there was an average of more than 10 hospitals a day on ambulance
bypass when the Liberal-National Party left office late last year.

Mr THWAITES says the government recently announced that $26 million would be spent
on providing an extra 360 beds in hospital emergency wards.

He says the Bracks government is fixing the crisis caused by the KENNETT government's
cuts to health funding.

Opposition health spokesman ROBERT DOYLE had said there were 10 hospitals on ambulance
bypass over the weekend.

AAP RTV tsc/mh/msk/jn

KEYWORD: HOSPITALS VIC (MELBOURNE)

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