The clinic, which Mr Lodwick said would be built during the next term, would take pressure off GPs and emergency departments, and help provide relief to people across the region.
Mr Lodwick announced the policy with Victorian Senator Raff Ciccone.
“Many people have been waiting weeks to get an appointment to see a GP and hopefully this is going to relieve some of that pressure,” Mr Ciccone said.
He said Labor was investigating ways to train more doctors and said the clinic would be fully staffed when it opened.
He said Labor would invest in more training, but did not say where exactly those doctors and nurses would come from in the short-term.
“Part of the process will be working with state and territory governments about identifying the location and working with community health services, as well as existing GP clinics, too,’’ he said.
Goulburn Valley Health currently has vacancies for more than 175 full-time equivalent staff, with more than 360 more nurses required by 2025, while the city is also facing a chronic doctor shortage.
Mr Lodwick said the centre “won’t fix all our problems at once”, but would help take pressure off while longer-term fixes were made.
“The stories I’ve been hearing about long waits at the emergency centres or people coming down from Cobram or Yarrawonga and they still can’t get help are heartbreaking,” he said.
He was unsure what capabilities the facility would have and Labor would need to liaise with GV Health and GPs in the region before confirming if the clinic would have access to x-rays or pathology.
“I’d be looking at the facility to do the things that it can do ... we would also be looking at providing emergency mental health care, as well as for people with cuts and bruises,” Mr Lodwick said.
Mr Lodwick said Labor would spend $135 million across four years to establish the trail of the urgent care clinics.
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