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Fury fires tiny town
1 Mar 2004
The small Victorian town of Manangatang has vowed to fight plans to close the cash-strapped Manangatang and District Hospital. Many residents believe the closure would set their 300-strong community on the path to becoming a ghost town. The hospital is the town's second largest employer and Manangatang has already lost both its banks, its supermarket and one of its two cafes.
The hospital services an area with about 1,000 people and residents say there would have been 3-4 deaths over the past year if it had not been open.
It's also feared the town's GP will leave if the hospital closes, and already some families have said they will probably go. Grain and sheep farmer Lindsay Plant said the loss of jobs if the hospital closes would be devastating. His own brother was saved by the hospital last year after suffering a heart attack on a visit from Adelaide.
Herald Sun, 1/3/04, page 4.
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