Although undertaking a reserved approach to the crisis facing the hospital, MACA supports the community in its fight to have obstetric services reinstated and the hospital remain open and fully operational.

MACA president Michael Standen said the organisation was willing to help community based groups fight for the Pambula hospital.

“We want the best for the Merimbula community. We’re ‘Merimbulacentric’ and we make no apologies about that,” he said.

“We would like to see the hospital continue to operate and have its maternity services restored.

“There are a lot of community based groups getting together to fight for the hospital and MACA would be more than willing to help those groups.

“MACA is an overarching collection of groups and community people and our job is not to instigate, but to help those that do.

“At the moment we haven’t been approached by any community groups with a plan on what they would like us to do. Our job is to support community organisations and we’re happy to do that.”

Mr Standen’s personal opinion is that the decline in services at the hospital will deter medical professionals from coming to the area.

“The lack of obstetrics and other services at the hospital would also make it difficult for the community to attract qualified doctors in the future,” he said.

“Many GP’s want to take a holistic approach towards their profession, including emergency medicine and obstetrics.

“If they can’t do that here they will look for a community that better suits them.

“We live in a beautiful place, but there are similar areas up and down the NSW coast.

“If the Greater Southern Area Health Service moves the obstetrics permanently to Bega and closes down the Pambula hospital altogether, it will simply remove that attractive aspect of the recruitment process to this area.”