MP Steph Cooke speaking at the protest.
Last Wednesday, the 26th of February, communities united in protest, as residents and healthcare professionals rallied together in response to the controversial closure of the local pathology services. Jason Carell, a Coota resident who suffers from several serious health conditions, was one of the many impacted by the decision. He had been diagnosed with Stage 3 lymphoma several years ago and underwent nine months of intense chemotherapy. Since then, he has relied heavily on the Coota pathology lab for urgent access to medical services.
“I take it personally because I’m part of a big family, the cancer family and when I see it impact them, it hits home,” said Jason.
Since moving to Coota, he has needed urgent pathology services on multiple occasions. However, NSW Health Pathology has now decided to shut down the Coota lab and transfer services to the Young Health Service.
For Jason, this closure means that he is forced to make a major life decision. He may be forced to leave the region in order to access the services he needs to survive. He isn’t alone in his concerns. Catherine Horn, a fellow Coota resident, voiced similar worries about her family’s future access to urgent medical care.
“My husband has a serious heart condition, and so does my 47-year-old son,” Catherine said. “What’s going to happen to them if they need a pathology service urgently?”
Like Jason, Catherine’s family depends on the timely and reliable services provided by the local pathology lab, and the closure could have devastating effects.
The protest reached its peak when a large group of concerned patients, local residents, leaders, and frustrated pathology staff gathered outside the Young Health Service on the same day. Many of them were striking in a bold move to draw attention to the issue. A 24-hour strike action was taken, reflecting the deep frustration within the community.
Don Hearne, a pathologist with 50 years of experience, shared his thoughts on the protest. “I’ve never struck in my life,” he said. “I’ve been doing this job for 50 years, and I’ve never had the need to strike before.”
The passionate response highlighted the emotional toll the decision has had on healthcare professionals who have been dedicated to their work for decades.
NSW Health Pathology has defended the closure, claiming that most blood samples taken at the Coota hospital are already sent to Wagga Wagga or Sydney for testing. They argued that expanding the pathology services in Young would allow more blood samples to be tested locally. However, many residents and healthcare workers remain skeptical of this rationale.
Steph Cooke, the Member of Parliament for Cootamundra, has been vocal in her opposition to the decision. “Reverse this decision,” she urged. “It will result in detrimental outcomes for our people, for our pathologists, for our clinicians, and for the work that our doctors and nurses do. This decision is wrong.”
Steph Cooke has also been leading the charge for a petition to stop the closure. Residents are rallying together to gather enough signatures to have the decision debated in Parliament. The “Save Coota Rural Hospital” petition requires 10,000 signatures to be considered for parliamentary discussion. Cooke emphasised the importance of this cause, noting, “If we can lose a lab in Coota, we can lose any service at any time in any one of our communities.”
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