PARKING SHAME

THIS newspaper has long railed against the ridiculously high fees charged for parking at the Gold Coast University Hospital.

Today we present just one more reason how and why the $17 a day fees are hurting families of patients, with a mother explaining how the cost has worn her down and she can now only visit her daughter, who has been in and out of hospital for 27 years with cystic fibrosis, liver problems and is now on dialysis, every second day. Many families have their own stories of having no choice but to pay high fees while spending long hours or days in the wards, worried about their loved ones.

After winning a lucrative deal with the State Government, Secure Parking enjoys a virtual monopoly. The Government is so aware though of the negative public reaction to fees that it introduced subsidies for concessions, but only for a minority. Even so, they still cost taxpayers over $450,000 in the past year. Interesting to note two of the city’s major private hospitals – Pindara and John Flynn – have ample free parking, which is the reverse of what might have been expected. That’s Queensland.