"AUSTRALIA'S doctor shortage has reached crisis point, with three-quarters of the country's land area, and more than 12 million people, now deemed as lacking adequate access to primary care.------The latest available figures, from the end of March, reveal the federal Department of Health and Ageing has declared "districts of workforce shortage" over 74 per cent of Australia - or 59 per cent of the population.-------Mr Abbott said the figures were based on a "statistical construct" and while the shortages extended into suburban areas, there was evidence people could still see a GP if they were willing to wait a few hours."
The Australian article today:
Really, Mr. Abbott? I see you don't mention rural or regional Australia. Here on the NSW North Coast the wait to see a GP is often counted in days or weeks with a $50 pay upfront bill attached. While turning up at the local hospital emergency department is a bit of a lottery because many of these hospitals don't have full-time doctors, and if they do your wait for treatment can sometimes be a long as six or seven hours.
The Australian Constitution says that the buck stops with the Federal Government on health care. So why did you let matters come to this pass? Ah, yes - you have always expected the poor and those living in the bush to take what's leftover after your 'me first' mates have had their medical needs met.
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