Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley flew from Melbourne to visit Portland District Health amid growing controversy around the service.

While he completed a tour of the hospital and met with the hospital board on Wednesday, he failed to meet with the community.

Portland Community Action Group's Ellen Linke said she was disappointed after inviting the minister to meet with locals.

"I think if the community could address him it would really drive home the public opinion about how badly in need of health services we are in Portland," Ms Linke said. "We're so far from the major hospitals, the maternity suspension is a major problem.

"We've got 30 women due to have babies within the next three months and they're all very upset about the whole situation.

"We all know how hard it is to get around in rural areas if you aren't able to drive and we've got bugger-all transport here.

"The community is really upset by the way things are going.

"I did actually invite the health minister to the community meeting on Sunday."

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Former board chair Mike Noske said he would have liked the opportunity to speak with Mr Foley.

"The board has repeatedly been saying they're keen to hear from the community, it seems to me they really don't want to hear from the community," Mr Noske said.

"I think it's time the minister appoints a new administrator and CEO."

During a community meeting of around 180 people on Sunday, expectant Portland mother Samantha Rutter asked Mr Foley to meet with a delegation of women about the suspension of maternity services at the city's hospital.

Mr Foley said it was up to the board to inform the community of the visit.

He stopped short of guaranteeing the future of the hospital's birthing services, but said the suspension would be temporary.

"Every six weeks that will be reviewed," he said. "We apologise to those who are facing challenges of giving birth elsewhere.

"We look forward to this temporary hiccup to be over as soon as possible."

He didn't rule out a different model of care for Portland midwives in the future.

"If that model advice changes, it'll change, if it says continue on with suitable adaptions I'm sure we'll do that as well.

"Whether you are in the middle of the central business district of Melbourne, or whether you're in Portland, you have the right to safe, quality services.

"Midwifery and birthing services are not a nine to five operation, they're a seven day a week 24-hour a day operation and they need to meet appropriate standards."

He failed to confirm how many recommendations of the 2019 Hillis report had been implemented.

"I'm really pleased that both the board and the Department of Health have adopted that report, which we 100 per cent support," he said. "We are committed to delivering this report.

"We've delivered an increase of almost 20 per cent in funding, more than $7 million in support.

"The systematic, deep cultural problems in the operation of the show didn't just happen overnight and as the last report points to, nor will the solutions happen overnight.

"There will be a whole range of announcements that the team here will make, and I will leave it to them."

He dismissed concerns about the new hospital board, the majority of which are male and reside outside of Portland.

"The board processes for nominations are done at arm's length from government, they're skill based but clearly one of the factors that is taken into account is gender diversity and balance," Mr Foley said.

"Portland has made substantial progress and I look forward to that progress continuing."

Liberal South West Coast MP Roma Britnell said she was furious on behalf of her constituents.

"Why couldn't he face the community on Sunday? Why come now and only allow a carefully staged press conference with the media but not talk to the community?" Ms Britnell said.

"I reissued the invitation in parliament so it wouldn't be missed.

"Samantha stood up and said she would like to meet with the minister, and he was asked in parliament. Clearly the community want to meet with him.

"These are pregnant women who have had the rug pulled out from under them, who have to find a way to get their head around having to give birth over an hour away from where they live. It's so insulting."

The minister met with PDH staff, and two of the seven doctors who signed an open letter accusing the health service of failing to provide permanent medical staff and hiring expensive locums instead.

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