Talk Of 'Plan B' Angers Mayor - southburnett.com.au

20150724 Hospital Breakfast — South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann at the Private Hospital Rally on July 25 … he says Michael Brown made no attempt to talk to him even though he was present

August 15, 2015

South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann has not given up hope of finding an operator to take over the South Burnett Private Hospital so premature talk of a “Plan B” for the building has made him mad.

Mayor Kratzmann said on Friday he had a meeting planned with another possible provider next week.

“I talk to providers almost every second day,” he said. “And when we get replies, I follow them up straight away.”

Mayor Kratzmann accused mayoral candidate Michael Brown of trying to turn the fate of the hospital into “a political issue”.

On Friday, Mr Brown and Kingaroy doctor Isabella Jonsson-Lear issued a statement calling on Mayor Kratzmann to consider “alternative health solutions” for the future of the hospital, including Mr Brown’s plan to extend his business as a not-for-profit operation into the building.

“I have never been so mad,” Mayor Kratzmann said. “Mr Brown has a complete conflict of interest.

“We have plenty of options for a ‘Plan B’ for the building – including Mr Brown’s submission – but what the people of the South Burnett want is a private hospital and that’s what I am trying to deliver.

“If we cannot get an operator by September, that’s when we will start looking at ‘Plan B’.”

Cr Kratzmann said talk of a ‘Plan B’ now could actually undermine efforts to get a hospital operator into the building.

The Mayor said he had also spoken today to Dr Jonsson-Lear and said she was totally supportive of his efforts to find a hospital operator, as were other local doctors in a letter prepared by Dr Debbie Tellam.

Mr Brown’s statement called on Mayor Kratzmann to talk to him.

“I am calling on the Mayor to talk to me about the alternative proposal I offered to the South Burnett Regional Council as a not-for-profit entity back in May 2015 and again in June 2015 to keep visiting specialists and introduce more allied health services that are desperately needed in the region in that building,” he said.

“I am frustrated that the community is being told the hospital is operational when the only current activity in the building is a decreasing number of visiting specialists who are being managed by a Council-paid receptionist.

“I want to help the community, I have a solution that will not cost ratepayers and I am being ignored.”

But Mayor Kratzmann said Mr Brown “had not any stage picked up the phone” to speak to him about the Private Hospital and had not even attempted to approach him at the hospital rally.

He said the only contact he had with him was over back rent, and whether it should be paid to Pulse Health or the South Burnett Regional Council.

Mayor Kratzmann said Council had received Mr Brown’s submission, along with a number of others, for a “Plan B”.

But it could actually be to Mr Brown’s disadvantage now if the Mayor did speak to him.

“If we do have to go to ‘Plan B’, I can’t be seen to be having negotiations on the side beforehand with one of the applicants,” Mayor Kratzmann said.

“It would be completely wrong of me to accept his submission ahead of any others.”

Mayor Kratzmann accused Mr Brown of trying to gain “political benefit” out of the private hospital closure.

“All he’s trying to do is stand up and say he would make a great mayoral candidate. This is not a political issue,” he said.

Mayor Kratzmann said he had organised to meet Dr Jonsson-Lear during the week to discuss her concerns.