Benalla Memorial Hospital has been recognised for its outstanding response to the Victorian bushfires as part of the 2009 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards.
Presenting an award today in Benalla, Candy Broad, Member for Northern Victoria Region thanked the Benalla Memorial Hospital staff and volunteers for their role in the February fires.
“This award is a tribute to health services which provided outstanding care during this difficult time,” Ms Broad said.
Health services were nominated for working ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ in response to the bushfires. In total 47 health services from across Victoria have been recognised by these awards, which acknowledge health services that provided the initial frontline health response to the fires.
“Benalla Memorial Hospital has always been a valued part of our local community” Ms Broad said.
“In February this year we saw staff and volunteers from Benalla Memorial Hospital, many of whom had been personally affected by the bushfires, providing ongoing care to those who needed it the most.
“This award is a special recognition from the Brumby Labor Government on behalf of the local community, the Department of Health and all Victorians for those life-saving efforts which Benalla Memorial Hospital provided.
“The community is proud of Benalla Memorial Hospital receiving this award, which is an important recognition of the efforts of the many people involved with this organisation,” Ms Broad said.
This award was presented as a special recognition of bushfire response efforts at the 2009 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards.
Ms Broad said the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards were established in 2005 to celebrate the diverse ways in which excellent public healthcare is achieved and recognise the individuals, teams and services committed to finding better ways of providing care.
Now in their fifth year, the awards recognise the fantastic work of our doctors, nurses and other health professionals and provide a great opportunity to celebrate quality, innovation and excellence in our public health system.
Premier John Brumby said the awards presented an opportunity to reflect on the healthcare sector’s tremendous response to the Black Saturday bushfires in February.
“Those who provided the front line response - the mental heath and primary care teams, the burns units, emergency departments, and the health services who supported the affected regions - delivered outstanding care in extreme circumstances, and I cannot commend them enough for their courage and commitment,” he said.