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Healthcare improvements needed to close the gap
15 November 2010.
The Labor Party and Liberal/National Coalition must present their strategies for closing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous health outcomes before the 27 November election, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today.
"Indigenous Victorians are struggling to gain access to appropriate healthcare services and this is contributing to the shameful gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health outcomes," he said.
Dr Hemley said the biggest life expectancy gap was between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males. "An Indigenous boy born during 2005-2007 can expect to die at age 67," he said. "That’s nearly six years earlier than an Indigenous girl, and 11.5 years earlier than a non-Indigenous boy born in the same period.
"While a large proportion of Indigenous males live in rural areas, around 24 per cent, a much larger proportion live in major cities and inner regional areas. The Federal Government certainly needs to improve access in rural areas but the next Victorian Government also has an important role to play in closing the gap."
Dr Hemley said increased funding for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander hospital liaison officers would assist Indigenous Victorians to navigate the complex public health system and encourage compliance with recommended treatments. Additional capacity building measures for community controlled health organisations is also required.
"Some Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders struggle to gain access to hospital services and emergency care, despite being at high risk of developing heart disease and other chronic conditions.
"Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders are three times as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to suffer a heart attack and have 1.4 times the out-of-hospital death rate from coronary heart disease.
"The next Victorian Government needs to get serious about reducing the gap and improving Indigenous health services," Dr Hemley said. "We need our community controlled health organisations to be supported to increase their service capacity. I’m also calling on the candidates to deliver additional funding for more Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander hospital liaison officers to ensure Indigenous Victorians get the ongoing hospital care they need."
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