Time Running Out For 'Big Picture' Rural Health Policies, Australia

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 20 Nov 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said that time was running out for the major parties to set out their 'big picture' solutions to the many problems facing rural health in Australia.

Dr Capolingua said both the Coalition and Labor had made welcome minor policy announcements, but neither side has set out a comprehensive plan to give country people the health services and hospital facilities they need and deserve.

"The evidence of a rural health system in crisis is everywhere," Dr Capolingua said.

"Since 1995, over 130 maternity units across the country have been closed.

"Pregnant women in places like Narrabri and Coonabarabran in New South Wales, Beaudesert in Queensland, and Streaky Bay and Cleve in South Australia have to travel significant distances to receive the sort of care that women in other parts of Australia get locally.

"Rural and regional towns are facing increasing problems in maintaining even basic emergency services.

"Wonthaggi Hospital in Victoria was forced in October this year to cease running a full time emergency service due to doctor shortages.

"The Senate Community Affairs Committee was told this year that towns like Mount Magnet in Western Australia once had a full-time GP, but now they only get one visit a month from a visiting doctor from Geraldton.

"Residents of towns like Bourke in New South Wales are forced to travel up to 10 hours for vital cancer treatment.

"Medical training in rural areas is becoming more difficult because of the loss of long-serving Australian trained doctors.

"Major regional hospitals such as Orange and Wagga Wagga lost their accreditation to train emergency specialists earlier this year.

"Shellharbour District Hospital in New South Wales lost its accreditation to train physicians earlier this year.

"The story is the same all around Australia - doctor shortages, cuts in services, and hospitals and equipment being neglected and allowed to run down. The health of country Australians cannot and should not be taken for granted."

In September, the AMA released its rural policy paper, Bridging the Gap. Last month, the AMA and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) released a joint Rural Rescue Package outlining the critical workforce problem in rural health and a plan of action to get more doctors into rural Australia.

The AMA believes that the Coalition and Labor must at the very least commit to:

- Significant funding to rebuild country hospital infrastructure. The AMA estimates that the Federal Government needs to invest an extra $2 billion over five years (matched by the States and Territories) in rural hospital funding,

- Programs, including scholarships and HECS relief, to encourage young doctors to work in rural practice,

- Proper funding for the medical specialist outreach program to allow the program to continue its good work into the future (Labor has promised $9 million over three years),

- Better funding for Patient Assisted Travel Schemes to allow rural Australians equal access to health care as people living in metropolitan centres, and

A significant package of incentives to encourage doctors to work in rural Australia. The AMA/RDAA Rural Rescue Package calls for approximately $300 million a year to be invested in workforce incentives to ensure that rural areas have access to a viable medical workforce.

Australian Medical Association

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