By ALESHA CAPONE
A SERVICE for sick and disabled children at Sunshine Hospital, which has been struggling to meet demand, has missed out on new funding in the State Government’s budget.
Last week the government released its 2013-2014 budget, which included previously-announced funds for the St Albans level crossing and a 12-chair dental clinic in Footscray.
However, the Children’s Allied Health Service (CAHS) – which is based at Sunshine Hospital and services the entire West – has been passed over in the budget.
The CAHS aids preschool children with conditions such as autism spectrum and cerebral palsy, to help them attend school, through services such as physiotherapy and speech pathology
In March, Star revealed the CAHS has been struggling to meet demand and was no longer accepting referrals for children starting school in 2014.
Western Health sent out a letter advising parents to take their children to private paediatricians instead.
The Opposition Children’s spokeswoman Jenny Mikakos raised the issue in parliament in March.
After the government released their budget last week, Ms Mikakos again asked the Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, Wendy Lovell, where funding for the CAHS was.
Ms Lovell said her department has met with Western Health and would put a program in place to ensure students could be assessed before they entered school.
However, Ms Mikakos said the CAHS deserved funding from the budget.
“Without further investment, children will be forced to wait longer for the help they urgently need and some will even miss out altogether on receiving important multi-disciplinary assessments before they start primary school,” she said.
Before the budget was released last week, the State Government announced $52.3 million for pre-construction planning and works at seven dangerous level crossings across the state – including the St Albans level crossing.
However the Leadwest CEO Anton Mayer said the State Government has not disclosed exactly how much money the St Albans crossing will receive.
“We’d like to know, when and where,” Mr Mayer said.
Greens MP for the western suburbs, Colleen Hartland, said she was disappointed the government “has completely abandoned” plans for the Westgate Ramps truck bypass and failed to fund improvements at the “crumbling” Sunshine College.
