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Public hospital strain set to continue
AMA Victoria President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today the funding promises to date from the Liberal and Labor parties will do little to ease the strain in Victorian public hospitals.
"Victorians will continue to suffer long waiting times for public hospital treatment as neither party has promised enough money to make a dent in the problem," Dr Haikerwal said.
"The Commonwealth Government contributes just over 50% of the budget for Victorian public hospitals, with the state government putting in close to 40% and the rest coming from patients, health funds, and other sources.
"The spending increase announced by the Labor party will boost the overall budget for Victorian public hospitals by 1%, although it does represent a 2.1% increase in the amount of money contributed by the Commonwealth Government. The percentage increase translates roughly to an extra $34 million per year for Victorian hospitals, which is certainly welcome but comes nowhere near the amount needed to get waiting times down.
"Unfortunately, the Liberal party has not yet committed to increased funding for public hospitals. Its focus on health outcomes and preventive health measures is the right move, but it should not be at the expense of people who are already ill and need public hospital care.
"The commitment by both parties to remove penalties tied to private health insurance membership rates is one promise that I certainly welcome," Dr Haikerwal said.
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