On Sunday, May 15, everyone who cares about the state of health services on the Border will have their chance.

A rally from 11am at Gateway Lakes organised by lobby group Better Border Health aims to accelerate the campaign for a new Border hospital.

The need for such a facility has been outlined in this newspaper before; frustrating and at times heartbreaking situations in facilities no longer fit for purpose.

And to quote a tireless cancer centre advocate, the late Eric Turner, "this is a story that will be told again and again and again until the responsible bodies take note".

One key to any successful cause is something that's been sorely lacking in the official responses to Albury-Wodonga's plight - unity.

The federal, NSW and Victorian governments have simply not been able, or willing, to agree on the best approach, leaving it up to clinicians and community members to take the lead.

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Wodonga mayor Kev Poulton and his Albury counterpart Kylie King have asked residents to forget politics and petty squabbles and unite in the fight for better health services.

One could argue it's not just residents who should heed that call.

But regardless, everyone on the Border and beyond needs to appreciate this is not just an issue for the unwell.

A health system that's stretched to its limits not only fails immediate needs, it also cannot support the vital preventative and early detection measures that enhance community wellbeing.

One day, sooner or later, we will all find out what that means.

At the moment, you might be lucky enough not to have spent hours in an emergency department, weeks trying to get medical appointments and months waiting for elective surgery.

Therefore you might also be healthy enough to attend an outdoor rally on a May morning.

It's possible those most affected now by our inadequate health facilities aren't able to come along on Sunday, no matter how much they may wish.

So the rest of us have a responsibility to turn up, speak out and make it impossible for any government, any leader, to push our concerns aside.

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