Alice Springs Hospital At Breaking Point

Last week, the Emergency Department at Alice Springs Hospital lit up its "No Vacancy” sign advising the community that lengthy delays for treatment were expected.

"Where else can people in Alice Springs go for treatment, if not the Emergency Department?” said Opposition Health Spokesman, Dr Richard Lim.

"The Labor Government has dropped the ball. Not only is Government failing to provide the essential health services and infrastructure to Territorians, they are allowing the services they do provide to deteriorate.

"The Government is failing to negotiate an EBA with the Australian Nurses Federation. In the meantime, nurses are being placed into administrative roles, so the number of nurses actually treating patients is diminishing.

"In May, on behalf of the CLP, I offered the Government a HECS reimbursement strategy to assist in attracting and retaining nurses to the Territory, but we have seen no action from the Martin Labor Government on this.

"Obviously the Chief Minister is only interested in hard hat photo opportunities and has no interest in practical strategies to help solve what are increasingly becoming desperate problems.

"Furthermore, the contract with St John to provide an ambulance service to Territorians expired on 31 July 2006 and now, at the end of August, a new contract is yet to be signed.

"Health, roads, Police are all the most fundamental of the core functions of Government. Labor is failing to deliver on core functions of Government and is letting Territorians down,” Said Dr Lim

2006-08-30