Katherine News
Government Hypocritical On Doctor Recruitment
The Health Minister’s spruiking for a new approach to attract more doctors in the bush has been undermined by the health budget he announced just yesterday, says the Territory Opposition.
“The 2009-10 health budget virtually ignores the needs of Katherine, Tennant Creek and Gove hospitals,” says Matt Conlan, Shadow Minister for Health.
“To offer regional hospitals a few scraps from the table one day and then proclaim that : Access to quality health care should not be dependent on where you live is startling hypocrisy.
“Whilst Darwin Hospital will receive a $20 million increase in funding next year, Katherine Hospital only received an additional $700,000, Tennant Creek an extra $400,000 and Gove an extra $200,000.
“Doctors won’t be attracted to working in under-funded hospitals.
“If the Minister really believed this rhetoric Tennant Creek and Gove Hospitals would still offer full maternity services.
“The increases offered to the three regional hospitals won’t keep pace with increasing costs.
“In effect the Health Minister has condemned the regional hospitals to a budget cut.
“As is always the case with the Henderson Government people need to look at what they say, not what they do.
2009-04-30
