RDAA Press Release: Rural health ignored by Coalition
In their campaign launch on Sunday, the Coalition again demonstrated their disinterest in the welfare of rural Australians, with no move to fix the rural health system in their election platform.
“No one is ticking the boxes on rural health this election,” said Nola Maxfield, President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA).
“It is one of the biggest issues for Australians in rural and remote communities and it hasn’t even got a mention. If we are to improve the health or Australian who live in the bush we must get more doctors, nurses and other health professionals out there.
“We have been asking for four key initiatives that would make a huge difference to healthcare in rural Australia, and none of them have been taken on board.”
The initiatives are:
National Rural Health Obligation – to set out the minimum standards of access that people who live in the bush can expect to health services
National Rural Generalist Training Pathway – to support and train the rural doctors of the future to provide essential health services to country communities and hospitals
Rural Rescue Package – to rewards doctors that choose to support rural communities and provide essential hospital-based services
Support for rural health services – payment arrangements for treating patients with long term illnesses, rurally sensitive governance arrangements and equitable access to midwifery
“Doctors need more support for their vital work in the bush. This really is a matter of life and death – that both parties have so far ignored rural health this election will directly cost Australian lives,” Dr Maxfield said.
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