IN SICKNESS AND HEALTH
Ed at record numbers as city prepares for first 100 vaccine jabs
RECORD numbers of patients are clogging Gold Coast emergency departments as staff battle an outbreak of a highly infectious respiratory virus that mimics COVID symptoms.
It comes as the city gears to receive the first 100 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday, with frontline workers first in line to receive the shot.
THE state government is refusing to provide any details on the city’s newest hospital, months after it was pitched as a key promise at the state election.
Budget papers after the 2020 poll indicated only $1.6m had been allocated for the $265m cost of seven satellite hospitals, with no indication when any of the facilities would be opened or the number of beds.
In October, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the locations of the hospitals would be determined after extensive community consultation.
“A satellite hospital on the Gold Coast will be tailored to the needs of the community and will include ambulatory and low acuity day therapy services such as renal dialysis, chemotherapy, complex wound management, and urgent care for minor injury and illness,” the Premier said at the time.
The Bulletin has long campaigned for greater hospital services in the city. The emergency department at Gold Coast University Hospital is the busiest in the country and the population boom is putting increasing pressure on services.
Previous Bulletin investigations have also revealed bed numbers in the Coast’s public hospitals were below national guidelines.
Before the election, the government said a $40m satellite hospital would be placed in Tugun.
However, in answering questions by Currumbin MP Laura Gerber about where it would go, when it would be open and what the $40m would be spent on, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath responded: “The Palaszczuk government is committed to delivering free, world-class health care to all Queenslanders no matter where they live.
“Now, in our third term in government, we will continue to deliver on our commitments to ensure every Queenslander continues to benefit from better health services and better health facilities.”
Ms D’Ath confirmed Labor’s 2020 election commitments included a suite of seven new satellite hospitals.
“Following the election, Queensland Health has commenced work on scoping out the full details of this commitment including time frames. That detail will be available in due course.”
Ms Gerber said she had no idea where the new major health facility would be located in her electorate.
“The Queensland Labor government is already back-pedalling faster than a duck on water,” Ms Gerber said. “Labor unequivocally promised a new satellite hospital in Tugun only four months ago as part of their 2020 election campaign, but the government’s latest spin casts doubt that locals will ever see a satellite hospital in Tugun.
“I asked the Minister where in Tugun the satellite hospital will be located and the Minister’s response deliberately skirted my question.
“Our community deserves the highest level of healthcare, not more broken promises. I repeat my calls for the Labor government to honour their commitments.”
I ASKED THE MINISTER WHERE IN TUGUN THE SATELLITE HOSPITAL WILL BE LOCATED AND THE MINISTER’S RESPONSE DELIBERATELY SKIRTED MY QUESTION CURRUMBIN MP LAURA GERBER (RIGHT)