Its not often that I agree with my local Member of Parliament, and its probably true to say I have said some harsh things in the past about what he has not done! However, the issue, as attached, is one we have spoken about on a number of occasions for a long time. When the original proposal to extend Edinburgh R.A.A.F. Base to include an Infantry Battalion was first mooted, included in the plan was a 110 Bed Medical Facility in order to cater for the expanded role of the Base to the Edinburgh Military Precinct. That particular facility did not get built, as the R.A.A.F. Medical Staff advised it already had the capability to care for the expected influx. In reality, that is not the case! Currently, both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defence are using the Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, for treatment and admission of their ill and injured personnel. The majority of those coming from Edinburgh. The Repatriation General Hospital, (RGH) was, while in the hands of the Repatriation Commission a centre of excellence for the treatment of our Service personnel with war caused injuries and illnesses. To this day, it still remains the Veterans choice for treatment and care. Unfortunately, since the State Government has taken control, it has degenerated the RGH to a Public Hospital which means that our Service Persons and Veterans are in fact receiving Public Patient care. Because the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defence pay State Health Private Patient Rates, for treatment and admission, but the hospital being used is only providing Public Patient service, there is a serious financial anomaly occurring every single time these admissions and treatments take place! According to our State Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Private Patient funds, paid by the Federal Government to provide the Health services Are paid into State Health coffers. Which means they are not reaching the service providers, or affording our Service Personnel the care and treatment they are entitled to! This is a gross misuse of Federal funds by the State Government. This is also why a substantial Medical Centre in the Northern Suburbs is a necessary facility to cater for our influx of Serving Personnel and their Families! The reason for including families is, the current Medical facilities in the Northern Suburbs are running at capacity. At many Doctors Surgeries there can be as much as a 2 day waiting time to see a General Practitioner. Some Practices are so full they are unable to take on new patients. Yet the Edinburgh Military Precinct continues to grow. Elements of 1st Armoured Regiment are now based at the Precinct. If the Northern Suburbs are to play host to an expanding Military presence in the future, then there is a crucial need to provide the necessary infrastructure to support and embrace the special needs of the human face that make up our local Defence Precinct.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 00:44:33 +0000
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