OUR HEALTH SYSTEM

HEALTH Minister Michael Ferguson can claim loudly and boldly the Hodgman Government’s ability to rectify the burgeoning costs and problems in the Tasmanian health system, including those associated with the Royal Hobart Hospital, until he breathes his last breath, but without there being a total, holistic approach to understanding the underlying causes of the increasing health and infrastructure problems in the first instance, his words remain hollow. Consequently, good money will continue to be poured into the bottomless pit that has already consumed appalling amounts of taxpayers’ hardearned money, with virtually no positive gains. Without there being an intelligent and comprehensive examination of the interconnectedness of the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of our being, and the negative impact health-wise on us as human beings when one or all of these aspects are ignored, abused, or out of whack, the fallout will invariable rebound on the health system, not to mention the legal and judicial systems, the welfare system, the NGOs and so many other aspects of society that pick up the pieces of troubled, unhealthy lives. The traditional custodians of Australia understood that holistic balance in life was so important to physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing. This is undoubtedly why their tribes were not riddled with health and social issues, until the invasion of their lands. And why they didn’t have jails, or hospitals, or welfare, because they had a system that attended to the welfare of all of their tribe members equally, and their lives were free of the toxins introduced through European lifestyles. We still have much to learn!