Warrnambool and surrounding communities raised their concerns about the state of the health care system at a forum organised by local MPs and held on Tuesday 16 July 2024.
Federal MP for Wannon Dan Tehan and State MP for the South West Coast Roma Britnell organised the Future of Our Health Forum to hear how cuts in the health care system were impacting local residents.
Shadow Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Anne Ruston and Shadow State Minister for Health Georgie Crozier attended the forum along with more than 100 community members including doctors and nurses.
“It’s important as a local MP to listen to the community and learn about the issues that are impacting them, and there can be few issues as important as our health,” Mr Tehan said.
“In Wannon, older residents are struggling to see a doctor with many ending up in regional hospitals, often far from their home due to a lack of staff and acute care services close to where they live.”
Ms Britnell commented that our healthcare services are under enormous pressure, and we need to work together to protect them. “Our current system is heaving under the pressure, and we need a government that supports us rather than cuts funding and threatens mergers.”
One of the key issues raised was potential amalgamation of the health care services and funding cuts leading to a reduction in services.
Rural, regional and remote Australians have a higher incidence of cancer and lower survival rates, and a higher prevalence of arthritis, asthma, chronic kidney, obstructive pulmonary, coronary heart, stroke and vascular diseases and diabetes.
Many of these conditions are preventable yet the frontline workers on preventative healthcare – GP’s – number just 2.7 per thousand rural and remote Australians, compared with 4.3 in the cities.
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