By Rich Bowden:
Green parties across Australia have offered support for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s planned multi-billion Commonwealth takeover of the country’s public hospitals, though have called for a universal dental scheme to be included.
Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, NSW. Credit: Bidgee
Greens Health Spokesperson Rachel Siewert promised that her party would be carefully “…scrutinising the detail of the Prime Minister’s health reform plan to ensure that the proposed changes result in greater funding for health services,” however called for the Prime Minister to commit to the Greens plan for a universal dental health care scheme as part of the PM’s package.
“We are heartened by the Prime Minister’s statement today that ‘universal health care is in his DNA’”, said Ms Siewert in a news release.
“With that sentiment in mind, the first thing the PM should commit to is the Greens plan for a universal dental care scheme through Medicare.”
She added the Greens will be releasing their own health reform plan to take to the people in the next federal election.
Meanwhile the Tasmanian Greens — who face a state election on the 20th of March — have offered “in principle” support to the federal Government’s wide-ranging health reforms.
Tasmanian Greens Shadow Health spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said the Tasmanian hospital system had many shortfalls which needed to be addressed.
“As Tasmanians who present at our public hospitals know full well, the system now is under huge strain and far too many people are left languishing on waiting lists to the further detriment of their health,” Ms O’Connor said in a statement.
“The funding and management of our public hospital system is clearly beyond the capacity of the Tasmanian Government. A model that is funded nationally through the proposed National Health Authority, and run locally, has the potential to ensure more Tasmanians receive the treatment they need, when and where they need it.”
She added the Greens would further study the proposals put forward by the prime minister and promised to work with the federal Government for the benefit of Tasmanians.
“The Greens believe that, with more funds available and more decentralised local control over funding that is attached to the patient via the case-mix model, there is significant capacity to deliver better health outcomes, and a more sustainable and efficient hospital system.”
“We will study the detail of the Prime Minister’s announcement very carefully, and we reserve the right to scrutinise its implementation to ensure that it does meet its stated aims. We understand it is an enormously complex reform agenda and we won’t be reacting with knee-jerk condemnation in the same way Tony Abbot’s Liberals have.”
“The Tasmanian Greens are committed to working cooperatively towards achieving better health outcomes to Tasmanians,” Ms O’Connor said.
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