COUNCILLOR Alex Christian is furious that people with mental health problems were left without a place to stay over the Christmas period.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Panorama Clinic, an inpatient facility at Bathurst Base Hospital for people undergoing significant mental stress, was closed for two weeks.
Cr Christian, who was informed about the closure from multiple people over the past week, said that anyone staying at the facility was sent home for that time.
He said it simply wasn’t good enough that people with serious mental health problems were essentially left to their own devices for two weeks, at a period of the year that can evoke a lot of emotions.
“Christmas for most is filled with joy and good times, whilst for others it brings back awful memories, reaffirms financial hardships, feelings of loss, severe depression, stress and anxiety,” Cr Christian said.
“The people that rely on this clinic have nowhere to turn over the Christmas period and it beggars belief.”
Mental health issues are spoken about more openly now, which was why it came as shock that a key facility closed over Christmas.
“It should be an essential service. We’re talking about people’s lives here,” Cr Christian said.
Although frustrated, he said he in no way blamed the staff at the clinic for the closure, saying the decision would have been out of their hands.
The question on his lips right now is ‘Will the clinic shut again this Christmas?’.
Cr Christian has yet to receive a clear answer on this, but he plans to campaign so the answer won’t be ‘yes’.
He said that, with this being a dual election year, he hoped it would become an election issue.
“I’ll certainly contact Paul Toole. I’ll also issue the challenge to other candidates to find out what they have to say,” Cr Christian said.
The Western Advocate has contacted the Western NSW Local Health District for comment about the Panorama Clinic closure and its plans for the end of 2019.
