ABOUT 4500 people have signed a petition calling on Bendigo Health to keep its pathology department within the organisation.More than 100 doctors have offered their support for pathology staff urging Bendigo Health against sub-contracting its service to a private company.Pathology department medical scientists Kassie Bell, Michelle Mead and Jayne Paynter joined together to showcase the support they had received from the community.“The volume of the response shows the community do want to keep the service,” Ms Mead said.“They have shown their support, it is clear they want the service, they value the service.”Public hospitals at Geelong, Ballarat and Horsham have privatised pathology departments.But Ms Bell said the government could afford to subsidise Bendigo pathology if it was willing to do so in Melbourne.“If the government can afford to come up with the money for public pathology in the city, why can’t it in the country?” she said.“We all pay the same taxes.“Clearly our families deserve the same treatment.”The women vented their frustration at the difficult lengths required to get the petition to Bendigo Health board members.Bendigo Health chief executive officer John Mulder late yesterday confirmed he had received the petition and passed it onto the organisation’s board members.The board met yesterday before hosting a celebration for outgoing chairwoman Marika McMahon. Authorities are yet to announce the make-up of the new board, which comes into effect today.Mr Mulder said board members at their meeting noted the petition and discussed the future of pathology services.“Bendigo Health will now brief the incoming board members including the new chair and the Minister for Health,” he said.“No statement will made until those briefings have taken place and the staff will be the first to know of any decisions impacting their future employment.”