Our say: Underlying needle as new emergency department opened

Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas was glowing in her praise, telling nurse unit manager Lindsay Nichol it was "perfect" and "I love it" after a tour preceding her official opening of the hub on Thursday April 4.

What is far from perfect is the detail surrounding the new clinical services tower planned for Albury hospital and the fate of services at Wodonga hospital.

Ms Thomas said "we're sitting down and really nutting out exactly what will be delivered" in relation to talks about the tower with Albury Wodonga Health's chief executive Bill Appleby and chairman Jonathan Green.

Mr Appleby and Mr Green in a joint letter to Ms Thomas and her NSW counterpart Ryan Park pleading for help and stating "the likely reality that our city will need to continue to endure a split acute/sub-acute hospital configuration despite the generous contributions of the Victorian and NSW governments is grossly disappointing".

They also raised concerns about patient safety and the future of Wodonga hospital.

Mr Green on Thursday described the letter as "typical advocacy" and Mr Appleby said it represented the "cut and thrust of working in public health".

Ms Thomas provided no detail on what would happen with Wodonga hospital, saying the release of plan could be months away.

She was dismissive of concerns raised by NSW Greens MP Amanda Cohn, who has spoken of the Albury building work being inadequate to meet patient and staff needs.

"I take everything she has to say with a dose of salts," Ms Thomas said.

Such scepticism from the Border community may be better placed on what Ms Thomas has to say about Albury-Wodonga health services.

In particular, the lack of an unequivocal response when she was asked if Goulburn Valley Health will administer Albury Wodonga Health.

That is of great concern and reflects an imperfect mentality of cutting services and staff to tackle Victoria's public debt rather than investing in the health system.

PS: There was also a bizarre moment where Ms Thomas' media representative blocked The Border Mail's photographer from capturing shots of the minister talking to Wodonga mayor Ron Mildren.

You would think it would be a healthy sign of democracy to have two representatives, who have had a rocky relationship, in a picture together.