BY SARAH BARONOWSKI
Hundreds of health workers, unionists and community members are expected to join together at Maitland Park this Sunday to protest the privatisation of Maitland Hospital.
The "Keep Our Hospitals Public" rally will be held from 12 noon to 2pm with the hopes of bringing the community together on this issue.
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| NSW Health Services Union Secretary, Gerard Hayes. [Image:Image: http://www.2gb.com/article/gerard-hayes-%E2%80%93 -secretary-health-services-union] |
NSW Health Services Union Secretary, Gerard Hayes says it is important for people to band together.
"No individual can win this, this is a community issue," he said. "They own that hospital. It's not for the government to give away but the only way we can fight this is by coming together as a community.
"We need to ensure that services at Maitland hospital are maintained and extended, not moved to John Hunter hospital and that profits don't come before services that the community need."
According to Mr. Hayes, this decision has not been made in the interest of the wider community.
"This is an attack on regional NSW," he said. "The private sector is about making money.
"We cannot get to a point that if you're wealthy, you can access services and if you don't then you either have to go on a waiting list or maybe go to Newcastle."
He says a hospital is not for the government to profit from and asks for a change in direction.
"The fact of the matter is what goes on in the hospital is the responsibility of Health," he said.
"It is not the responsibility or to be abdicated to the private sector."
The rally will continue to be advertised over the next couple of days and Gerard Hayes encourages people to come along.
