Cunningham Electorate - Health Crisis

24th May 04

Mr ORGAN (Cunningham) (1.48 p.m.) — The health system in the Illawarra is in crisis. A much needed MRI machine is about to be installed at Wollongong Hospital—the largest public hospital in the region—yet the federal government refuses to allocate it a Medicare licence and the state government has not provided funds for its staffing and ongoing operation. The Illawarra Area Health Service has recently denied ambulances access to the emergency department at Bulli Hospital, resulting in queues at Wollongong Hospital, with media reports of up to eight ambulances having to wait in the hospital car park to take their patients into an increasingly overloaded emergency department.

The use of the region's emergency helicopter rescue service is also causing concern, especially in light of the tragic death of Ron Tabak in an industrial accident at Port Kembla. We have seen in recent times helicopters from Sydney and Canberra brought in, rather than making use of the local service. The South Coast Labor Council is leading calls for a dedicated Illawarra helicopter rescue service, staffed by doctors. There is also a turf war amongst the emergency rescue services, with the ambulance and police services taking the lead in emergency rescue operations when the best resourced and highly trained staff at Wollongong Fire Brigade Centre wait for a call. And I could go on.

Amidst all of this we have the workers—the doctors, nurses, and clinical and ancillary staff—doing wonderful work but working longer hours and under increasing pressure, resulting in low morale. And when members of the community, or politicians such as myself, raise these issues, we are accused of scaremongering by the Illawarra Area Health Service. The spin has to stop. The federal and state government must accept that these problems exist. Both are responsible, along with management, for finding solutions. More money, better use of resources and the abolition of turf wars and interdepartmental bickering will help us all.