Opportunity to upgrade country hospitals, Waldron

Author: Terry Waldron
Published on: 08-February-2008

 Nationals health spokesman and local Member for Wagin Terry Waldron has called on the State Government and WA Country Health under the new directorship of health, to change its strategy on country hospitals and upgrade the services to and the roles of our country hospitals.

“With the new Acting Director in place and making changes in the directions of Health, it is an opportune time for the Minister and Acting Director to reassess the current roles of our country hospitals, invest in them to increase their capacity to deliver greater services to their communities and take pressure off the major regional and Perth hospitals,” Mr Waldron said.

“If we are to attract and maintain doctors in our country communities it is essential that we have hospitals of a standard where our doctors can practice and maintain their skills,” he said.

Mr Waldron emphasised the huge costs involved in patient transfer, travel costs to visit specialists and individuals costs in having to travel to major regional and city hospitals for many treatments that could and should be available at hospitals in our inland regional areas.

“With reinvestment in our country hospitals we could cut these cost significantly and provide a local service benefiting local communities and taking pressure off our major hospitals,” Mr Waldron said.

“Many of our smaller hospitals are excellent facilities but are underutilised and it would not be difficult to upgrade them,” he said.

Mr Waldron said he planned to meet with WA Country Health Officials to press for the change.

“I think we have a great opportunity at a time where we are seeing population growth in a lot of our country communities,” Mr Waldron said.

“The State Government has a responsibility to deliver better health services to our inland regions and has the budget surplus and resources to deliver,” he said.