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Specialised hospital equipment needed for morbidly obese patients
17 January 2011.
AMA Victoria today called on the Baillieu Government to increase funding for hospitals to purchase specialist equipment to treat, diagnose and transport the rising number of morbidly obese Victorians presenting to the state’s public hospitals.
AMA Victoria Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis said the health system was ill-equipped to care for morbidly obese Victorians and an equipment investment was sorely needed. " We need to ensure our hospitals have the equipment they need to offer high quality care to patients of all sizes," he said.
"We’ve got ridiculous situations where morbidly obese patients are transferred to different hospitals because they simply don’t have the equipment to care for these patients.
"We also need to ensure our public hospital staff and paramedics are safe and supported with appropriate hoists and ambulance equipment to move and transport severely obese patients."
Dr Parnis said an initial investment of at least $10m was required for hospitals to purchase specialist equipment such as beds, wheelchairs, operating tables, hoists, gowns, toilet seats, surgical equipment and other items to safely care for morbidly obese patients.
"The investment will be much greater when you add the cost of CT scanners, MRIs and larger fleet of ambulances to transport very heavy patients," he said.
Dr Parnis said the shortage of specialist hospital equipment was just one area of obesity and healthy weight that needed to be considered.
"What we really need to see from the Baillieu Government is a comprehensive obesity plan," he said. "We need an obesity strategy that focuses on prevention – healthy eating and exercise – but also looks at treatment for morbidly obese Victorians."
AMA Victoria’s obesity strategy recommends improved community infrastructure, traffic light nutritional labels on foods, a ban on junk food in government buildings, and the establishment of comprehensive obesity clinics.
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