A petition with 2860 signatures was due on Friday morning to be presented to Bega MP Andrew Constance at his electorate office in the Bega Valley.

Moruya specialist Dr Michael Holland said the signatures were secured in less than three weeks and hoped it would be promptly submitted to the NSW Legislative Assembly.

It requests the NSW Government commit to funding, planning and building a centralised shire hospital.

In the meantime, campaigners are calling on the government to make immediate improvements to emergency, critical care and perioperative services in the region at both Batemans Bay and Moruya hospitals.

In a submission to Eurobodalla Shire Council on Tuesday, Dr Holland said the ‘One New Eurobodalla Hospital’ campaign was initiated in response to “what is perceived to be a potential crisis in local health services”.

Dr Holland asked the council if it would support urgent improvements to shire hospital services and the provision of a regional hospital. 

“One hundred patients per month are transferred outside the region by ambulance or retrieved by aeromedical services per month,” Dr Holland said.

“A large number of residents need to leave the area for elective services unavailable locally.

“This has arisen due to the expensive, inefficient and unsustainable division of services between two hospital sites.”

Mr Holland said the region was disadvantaged by the separation of services.

“Combined, the services of Moruya District Hospital and Batemans Bay District Hospital would result in a role delineation equivalent to South East Regional Hospital and Goulburn Base Hospital,” Dr Holland said.

Patients injured in serious crashes on the Princes and Kings highways are often flown to hospitals in Sydney and Canberra.