Western Australia’s Health Minister, Amber-Jade Sanderson, has raised concerns about the Shire of Ashburton's campaign for improvements at Tom Price Hospital, criticizing it as misleading and dishonest. The Shire of Ashburton has allocated over $140,000 to the campaign, aiming to pressure the state government into building a new hospital due to the poor condition of the current facility in the Pilbara region.
Despite acknowledging the aging infrastructure of Tom Price Hospital, Minister Sanderson disputes claims of service reductions and emphasizes that the range of services remains unchanged. The Shire of Ashburton, led by Shire President Audra Smith, argues that the campaign is about holding the government accountable for its 2021 election promise to redevelop the hospital, for which over $32 million was committed, but progress has stalled due to contractor disinterest.
Residents in Tom Price have voiced concerns about limited local healthcare services, often having to travel extensively for medical needs not available in the area. The absence of birthing services at the hospital has been highlighted, especially with the high number of families in the community. The Western Mine Workers' Alliance also expressed the need to expand services at Tom Price and the neighboring Paraburdoo Hospital to cater to the significant residential and FIFO workforce in the mining industry.