By Charlene Gatt
THE State Government has set up a steering committee to work out the best course of action for the Western Region Health Centre’s dental service.
The taskforce, which includes representatives from the State Government, the Western Region Health Centre, Maribyrnong City Council and Dental Health Services Victoria, was set up last month and will conclude at the end of April.
Western Metropolitan MP Andrew Elsbury told Star the taskforce would determine both short-term and long-term strategies to keep the service going, but would not confirm if there would be funding in the 2012-13 State Budget.
“It (funding) might not be for the final project… but certainly, we will be aiming to get something going in this term of government,” he said.
Members of the taskforce visited the Western Region Health Centre’s two dental clinics in Footscray last week – a children’s clinic in Geelong Rd and an adults clinic in Paisley St.
The two clinics provide emergency and general dental care to more than 10,000 patients each year.
Both clinics were built in the 1960s and have had no touch-ups since.
Last year, the centre campaigned heavily for a new dental facility that would be located on Paisley St and would have 12 dental chairs.
Western Region Health Centre Acting CEO Jason Rostant said urgent investment was required to enable the ongoing provision of dental services for the people in the inner West.
“The Western Region Health Centre is committed to providing quality, integrated dental care to the community and welcomes the opportunity to work with the State Government as part of its Taskforce”, Mr Rostant said.
“The dental needs of the local community continue to be higher than the state averages for all age groups, with more than half of the children we see under the age of five years experiencing dental disease.”
