TRANSPLANT

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:14): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition asked me a question at 2.47pm in the house yesterday, in which she accused ambulance officers in Mount Gambier of wasting a valued kidney and costing a patient the opportunity of a transplant—a very serious claim.

As members will recall, my staff were able to check with Professor Graeme Russ (head of the QEH transplant unit) about the patient to whom the Leader of the Opposition referred. Subsequently, at 3.13pm yesterday, I was able to inform the house that the patient referred to did, in fact, receive the kidney transplant. However, this major embarrassment did not stop the opposition in its quest to pursue this untrue story. In fact, the media were sent a fax from the opposition which was time-stamped 3.49pm, a full 36 minutes after I had informed the house of the facts. The fax contained a media release from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition entitled 'Kidney wasted as ambos sleep'. The deputy's release claimed I was 'under fire in state parliament today after an embarrassing bungle made by the SA Ambulance Service was exposed'.

The only thing that was exposed was the deputy leader's recklessness. The deputy attacked hardworking health workers by falsely casting aspersions on their professional ability. The deputy leader claimed in her release that 'a perfectly good organ was wasted because staff failed to fulfil their duties'. This is totally and absolutely untrue. As I informed the house yesterday, before that media release was sent out, I had been assured by Professor Graeme Russ that the patient did catch the flight, he was taken to the hospital and he did get the kidney transplant. Today, I can also inform the house that Professor Russ tells me that the patient is now recovering well—and that is a good thing.

The deputy leader continued in her media release stating that 'this is a shocking situation and the minister should be demanding answers'. The answers I am now demanding to know are: when will the Deputy Leader of the Opposition apologise, and when will the Leader of the Opposition take responsibility for the actions of his front bench? I also look forward to hearing the deputy leader's personal explanation to the house explaining her error. Ambulance officers, RFDS pilots and hospital transplant teams are some of the hardest-working people in our state. They deserve our thanks, not ill-founded slurs.

South Australia's kidney transplant team enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence and has improved the lives of countless South Australians. In fact, last November, surgeons conducted South Australia's 2,000^th kidney transplant. The deputy leader is willing to sacrifice the professional reputations of dedicated health workers to score cheap political points. Of course, this is not the first time the deputy leader has got it so wrong.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!