Ms WALKER - 2012-05-03
The Henderson government is committed to providing quality regional health and community support services throughout the Territory. Can you please update the House on what Budget 2012-13 delivers to support Territory families with affordable and quality healthcare?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a very good question. Our government continues to deliver a record investment in health not only for better hospitals, but also for regional health and community services that are affordable and help families stay together. Unlike the Country Liberal Party, we believe every Territorian living outside urban centres deserves quality healthcare. This is why we have delivered the most comprehensive renal strategy for the Territory and provided dialysis in over 30 communities, and we have seen the result. People on renal dialysis in Yuendumu or anywhere else now have the same life expectancy as people in Perth, Adelaide or Melbourne.
In partnership with the Australian government, $33m is spent to upgrade health services in Borroloola, Elliott, Galiwinku, Milingimbi, Ngukurr, Ntaria, Papunya and Pirlangimpi. This will deliver facilities which are safe and culturally appropriate, and support our staff in their work.
There is $10.7m for the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. We understand we cannot help all the people in the Territory; some people have to travel down south and we help them with that. In addition, because of the tyranny of distance, we have to bring people, in some cases urgently, from the bush. We have one of the best medical retrieval services through CareFlight.
Madam Speaker, $12.7m is provided for individual support packages to meet the unique needs within the disability services system. There is $52m allocated for better mental health services across the Territory, with $3m for child and adolescent mental health services. This includes further development of Suicide Story, an Indigenous training tool produced by the Mental Health Association of Central Australia Life Promotions Program to create suicide-safer families and communities, and to train trainers in the regional areas. We have made a major investment in the health and wellbeing of all Territorians no matter where they live.
There is no bigger contrast between us and the CLP, and that shows in an interview the then Minister for Health, Steve Dunham, gave to Lateline in 2001. He was questioned by Tony Jones about not putting renal dialysis machines in the bush, or anywhere else:
The answer is staggering. Steve Dunham said,
‘The choices are theirs. They can die in the bush. I am not going to put machines there’. This is the difference between us and the CLP, Madam Speaker, and if you do not believe me look at their manifesto. There is not one reference about health and health services outside the urban centre; not one reference for health services in the bush.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a very good question. Our government continues to deliver a record investment in health not only for better hospitals, but also for regional health and community services that are affordable and help families stay together. Unlike the Country Liberal Party, we believe every Territorian living outside urban centres deserves quality healthcare. This is why we have delivered the most comprehensive renal strategy for the Territory and provided dialysis in over 30 communities, and we have seen the result. People on renal dialysis in Yuendumu or anywhere else now have the same life expectancy as people in Perth, Adelaide or Melbourne.
In partnership with the Australian government, $33m is spent to upgrade health services in Borroloola, Elliott, Galiwinku, Milingimbi, Ngukurr, Ntaria, Papunya and Pirlangimpi. This will deliver facilities which are safe and culturally appropriate, and support our staff in their work.
There is $10.7m for the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme. We understand we cannot help all the people in the Territory; some people have to travel down south and we help them with that. In addition, because of the tyranny of distance, we have to bring people, in some cases urgently, from the bush. We have one of the best medical retrieval services through CareFlight.
Madam Speaker, $12.7m is provided for individual support packages to meet the unique needs within the disability services system. There is $52m allocated for better mental health services across the Territory, with $3m for child and adolescent mental health services. This includes further development of Suicide Story, an Indigenous training tool produced by the Mental Health Association of Central Australia Life Promotions Program to create suicide-safer families and communities, and to train trainers in the regional areas. We have made a major investment in the health and wellbeing of all Territorians no matter where they live.
There is no bigger contrast between us and the CLP, and that shows in an interview the then Minister for Health, Steve Dunham, gave to Lateline in 2001. He was questioned by Tony Jones about not putting renal dialysis machines in the bush, or anywhere else:
- How many more people have to die before ...
...
... a dialysis machine is put into Tennant Creek?
The answer is staggering. Steve Dunham said,
- People have the opportunity to access this specialised medicine at Alice Springs and I’m not in the position to be able to compel people to access that medicine.
In the event that they don’t wish to, the choices are theirs.
‘The choices are theirs. They can die in the bush. I am not going to put machines there’. This is the difference between us and the CLP, Madam Speaker, and if you do not believe me look at their manifesto. There is not one reference about health and health services outside the urban centre; not one reference for health services in the bush.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016