Regional health advocates and local government leaders in Victoria are intensifying pressure for a 24-hour mental health facility in Horsham, pointing to severe regional disparities in service access and stark suicide rates. According to reports from ABC News, the Wimmera region currently lacks an inpatient mental health unit, forcing residents to travel hours away for critical care.
The Impact on Wimmera Residents
For patients like Stacey Kelly, managing conditions such as depression, anxiety, and depressive psychosis requires extensive travel outside the region. According to ABC News, Ms Kelly has regularly taken a five-hour round trip on public transport to Ballarat since 2022 to receive necessary mental health treatments that are unavailable in her home community of Horsham. “I [travel to Ballarat] because I wish to be alive,” Ms Kelly told ABC News, describing how early treatment required a seven-week absence from home, family, and local support networks. She noted that the journey carries heavy emotional, financial, and stability tolls on patients in the region.
Local Government and Community Demands
Horsham Rural City Council is pressing for the local mental health facility to operate 24 hours a day. According to ABC News, Mayor Brian Klowss stated that approximately 400 people from the Wimmera are admitted or transported to Ballarat Hospital annually for mental health-related care. “It’s actually a real concern that we haven’t got anything here in Horsham that’s 24-hour care close to home for the people that need it,” Cr Klowss said, as reported by ABC News. Horsham serves as the region’s largest population centre and referral hub, yet emergency departments like the Wimmera Base Hospital frequently lack on-site mental health qualified personnel after hours, often relying on telephone triage services based in Ballarat.
Statistical Distress in Western Victoria
Data highlights acute healthcare needs across the district. According to Mental Health Victoria chief executive Phillipa Thomas, cited by ABC News, certain areas within the Wimmera exhibit stark rates of mental health distress and illness that are disproportionately higher than the rest of the state. Furthermore, figures from a Western Victorian Primary Health Network report show that emergency department presentations for mental health and behavioural disorders in Horsham reached 2.15 times the Victorian average, underscoring the urgent local calls for expanded, round-the-clock infrastructure closer to home.
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