This week in Parliament the Member for Roe and Deputy Leader of The Nationals WA Peter Rundle raised a Grievance with the Minister for Health and the Minister for Health Infrastructure about the lack of diagnostic technology in his electorate putting the lives of regional people at risk.
The two main points raised in Parliament by Mr Rundle on Thursday were the need for a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner at Katanning Health Service and an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine in Esperance.
The Member for Roe Mr Rundle said, “I will continue to call for a CT scanner in Katanning and for an MRI in Esperance. I don’t want to see any more lives lost or futures broken because this Cook Labor Government has lost touch with the needs of regional people and continues to ignore their pleas.”
A CT scanner would provide an imaging test for local clinicians to detect diseases and injuries, enabling them to make real time evaluations and adjustments.
Mr Rundle personally knows people whose lives have been lost or changed forever because of the lack of diagnostic technology in his electorate and continues to receive calls and correspondence across his seat on this issue.
“I refuse to sit back and let regional healthcare fall behind across my electorate. I call on the Cook Labor Government to act now, to provide necessary, life-saving services to improve the chances of recovery after trauma, progress treatment and increase the rate of diagnosis of serious health problems.” Mr Rundle said.
There are only 10 CT scanners in the public health system across regional WA. It has been 4 years since the Labor Government has allocated any funds to CT scanners in regional WA.
Mr Rundle said, “Katanning is a large regional centre with over $30 million spent to improve the Emergency Department at the Katanning Health Service. Regional patients deserve access to the latest diagnostic health technology, and the Cook Labor Government is not listening or delivering.”
