Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Health spokesperson
Senator Nick McKim | Senator for Tasmania
Dr Woodruff said:
“The ‘State of Health’ report from the independent health policy analyst Martyn Goddard today confirms the dire state of Tasmania’s hospitals.
Mr Goddard’s claim that more than 80 mortalities a year can be avoided, due to chronically under-resourced hospitals, is alarming. It seems clear the lack of federal and state funds are putting lives at risk.
Mr Goddard’s report also highlighted the treatment of private health patients is costing $38 million to the State’s public hospitals every year.
Tasmania’s public health system is over-burdened and under-funded. And over recent years, it appears the private system is simply deferring their burden to public system.”
Senator McKim said:
“Emergency, some specialist - and currently medical patients - are being deferred to the public hospitals. Tasmania’s private health system is increasingly relying upon the public system.
Tasmania’s population is ageing and increasing, without the necessary extra funding for our hospitals.
We need to end the billions being spend on the private health insurance rebate and reinvest it in public health.“