28 Mar Situation Critical – Life-saving services lacking in North West Queensland

In today’s day and age, a basic essential service is health care, yet in the North West, renal patients are still forced to leave their local community for life saving treatment Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Treager MP, Robbie Katter said.

“One of the hardest parts of my role is hearing about the real suffering that patients must endure, all because renal services continue to be second rate here in North West Queensland,” Mr Katter said.

Despite having a similar catchment area, Alice Springs has more than four times as many renal chairs, compared to the North West Queensland electorate of Traeger.

“Last week in Parliament I formally asked the Health Minister to commit to fully funding more chairs in our remote communities, as well as in our major hub of Mount Isa.

“When you visit the renal area of the Mount Isa hospital, it’s like peak hour in downtown Mumbai – utter bedlam.

“The nurses and staff at our hospitals are doing an amazing job with what they have, but we need much more.

“Key towns in the Gulf of Carpentaria such as Normanton still have no chairs at all!” Mr. Katter said.

A small band of locals are rallying for these services in this remote Gulf town. Local advocate Cherie Schafer has been vocal in calls for the new hospital to incorporate the service.

“I know that there are provisions in the new hospital to accommodate the service, but this is a long way off having the chairs operating with qualified nursing to attend.

“We have a thriving community here in the Gulf, but if you have to leave town for critical medical services, it is a real struggle to attract people to town,” Mrs Schafer said.

A recent report has indicated that 49 per cent of all voluntary assisted dying cases across Queensland were from outside of Brisbane.

“People are forced to upend their lives, displacing families, and move away to receive lifesaving treatment.  Some are even saying they will rather die from the illness if that keeps them with their family,” the Member for Traeger said.

“I cannot stand by and watch people here in North Queensland simply give up.

“The disparity between south Queensland and regional healthcare is stark, and it is costing lives.

“The Queensland Government, yet again, is failing the people in regional Queensland and must start prioritising the expansion of dialysis services in the North West.

“It is not merely a matter of healthcare but a question of equity for all Queenslanders, regardless of their location,” Mr. Katter said.

-ENDS-