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In the ongoing push to get a doctor contacted at Gulgong MPS, the people behind the popular petition have taken the next important step toward their goal.
Sharelle Fellows travelled to Dubbo on Wednesday to hand over the paper and digital petition to Dubbo Member Dugald Saunders. The petitions together have 2850 signatures, calling on the government to act on the situation at Gulgong MPS where they have been without a doctor since June.
Now that the petition has been handed over to the government, she said what happens next is important.
"That a Doctor is appointed to the MPS," was Sharelle's only hope.
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Member for Dubbo, Dugald Saunders now has both petitions in his possession.
"I received it happily, I spoke to both Sharelle and Kathy again about what they've been doing and some of the stories they've heard. And I've been supportive of them, doing the petition to show the community support for ensuring we've got the health services we need in communities like Gulgong, their main focus has been getting a doctor at the MPS.
"And that's certainly been my main focus over the past month or so - six weeks. I'm very hopeful in the not too distant future, there'll be some really positive news around that as well."
Dugald said he would now take the petition to Parliament.
"I'll lodge it with the Speaker as a member of Parliament, as a show of faith and supporting the petition. It won't be for it to be debated, but for it to be recognized and the Speaker will accept it," Mr Saunders said.
"I've mentioned in Parliament - in fact last week I spoke in Parliament about the Gulgong MPS. So I've already raised the issue there. But this will again just highlight the fact that community has been concerned and I've certainly been with them on that journey.
"But what I've been doing is trying to come up with solution. There's been a lot of misinformation in the community... Chinese whispers don't help anyone, what helps is actually getting things fixed. And that's that's what I've been working towards."