The following is an extract from that blog posting of mine. In it I suggested that there had been some evidence of skullduggery by the CEO of the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice in the loss of the project to Moss Vale and to the people of the Southern Highlands. Given its location there would have been a few GPs in Moss Vale who would have been challenged by the development, including the Chair of the Division of General Practice.
Recently, I've been advised that another person in the Southern Highlands who has his own blog, which he uses to badmouth others, has taken umbrage at Socrates's revelations about the entreprenurial carryings on by the CEOs and Boards of both the Southern Highlands and the Macarthur Divisions of General Practice in respect of their application to create a mega- Medicare Local without any consultation with the community or other health service providers in the public and private sectors.
Well, for the record, there is some evidence of what was stated in October 2010. This is an extract from the article by Ben McClellan, with my commentary at the end.
"Is the hand that stirred the pot for Mr Ibrahim the hand of the SSWAHS Executive or the hand of the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice?
"........The super clinic plan included 13 different services ranging from a 24-hour medical centre to physiotherapy and cosmetic surgery.
"Mr Ibrahim lashed out at Wingecarribee Council’s planning department over a failed retail shopping centre at the Mazda car yard in Mittagong.
"He said the council had “mucked him around” and the project was no longer commercially viable.
"He said developers could be 100 per cent compliant with the council’s stipulations and still have projects turned down.
"Mr Ibrahim also denied Theo Onisforou’s Intersection project in Station Street, Bowral, which could have a medical centre, would clash with the Gillian Centre.
"He said the clinics would “complement each other” and the specialists at his centre would benefit from Mr Onisforou’s GP clinic.
“Bring it on,” he said."
"Socrates says: Again, sometimes the things that go on behind the scenes are as cut throat in the Wingecarribee as they are in the big end of town when competitors make life difficult for those who oppose their respective developments. Was the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice a bit more than a little miffed by the success of Mr Ibrahim and the St Henri Group in securing their site in Moss Vale while the Division did not?"
What evidence did I have, you might ask, for me to imply such a thing, viz., that Dr Warwick Ruscoe was opposed to Mr Ibrahim and the St Henri Group establishing a Super Clinic for the benefit of the residents of the Southern Highlands in general, and for the residents of Moss Vale in particular?Well, let's go to the Wingecarribee Council Minutes for Wednesday 10 December 2008 and on page 9 we find "v-EP3 Demolition of Existing Dwelling & Erect Strata Commercial Medical Suites and Chemist, Lot A DP377731, 166 Argyle Street, Moss Vale". This is the Moss Vale retail development proposed by the St Henri Group for its Super Clinic. It was supported in Council by Mr Ibrahim speaking in support of it, as one might expect. The Minutes also indicate that there were some objectors and the person nominated to speak on behalf of the objectors was named.
"Reporting on LUA 08/1047 which has been received to demolish an existing dwelling and
erect a 2 storey building containing strata commercial medical suites and chemist with
basement parking for 188 cars at Lot A DP 377731, 166 Argyle St Moss Vale. The applicant
and a representative of the objectors have been invited to address Council.
Mr Sam Ibrahim, the Applicant, addressed Council on this matter.
Mr Warwick Rusco addressed Council on behalf of the objectors."
Yes, it does say Mr (not Dr) and there is a missing letter at the end or the surname, but it does look suspiciously like Dr Warwick Ruscoe was the spokesman on behalf of the "objectors". Just to make sure a white pages search in the Southern Highlands telephone directory shows only one person with a listing anything like the Warwick Rusco in the Council Minutes of December 2008.
One can be entitled to say: "Why is it that the CEO of the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice could be objecting to the development of a super clinic in Moss Vale? A 24-hour facility which would clearly be of benefit to health consumers in the Southern Highlands, and particularly, those in the southern towns and villages, and also reduce the patient flow to the Emergency Department of Bowral Hospital." The super clinic would also be a bulk billing practice and be a "one-stop-shop" medical centre, including a pharmacy.
Perhaps, ever the cynic, Socrates can identify the following reasons:
- Dr Warwick Ruscoe has always been an opponant to bulk-billing medical practices, stating that: such practices encourages patients to seek opportunities to easily gain sick certificates to avoid going to work;
- Dr Warwick Ruscoe had his own Divisional aspirations of opening a super clinic in Moss Vale, to be built over the council car park adjacent to the GP practice of the (then) Chair of the Board of the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice - Dr Vince Roche. The Division's application for that DA was subsequently lodged with Council - and rejected because of its use of the Council car park.
- Dr Roche's family had/has an interest in the Moss Vale Pharmacy - opposite the Roche GP practice - which would be in competition of the pharmacy involved in the proposed retail development of Mr Sam Ibrahim.
