Ouse hospital future decided
Posted
The local community has lobbied hard to keep a medical facility. (ABC News: Cate Grant)
The future of health services at Ouse in the upper Derwent Valley will be known tonight.
Hundreds of Central Highlands residents are expected attend a public meeting where an an independent consultant can present the findings on the region's health service needs.
The Ouse District Hospital was downgraded last year, but in December the local council and the State and Federal Government agreed to the review.
Ouse resident, Ann Jones, who is chairwoman of a health lobby group, says she expects a big turnout.
"At most of the meetings we've had over the last 12 months we've had, especially in Ouse, we've had over 100 people," she said.
"For our big meeting that we had with the minister in June of last year we had 350 people, and we're hoping for a similar number.
"The community would really like to believe that it is, has been a fair assessment and all communities, if they fight for something they feel that's the right thing.
"We feel it's very important that we keep a medical facility, with beds, in our community, in our district."
