Health Review

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:09): My question is again to the Minister for Health. When will on-site stroke services be available for patients at the Flinders Medical Centre?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:09): Currently there are stroke services at the Flinders Medical Centre. What we want to ensure with the way that the stroke configuration will be is that the Flinders Medical Centre and the Lyell McEwin will have stroke services so that they will be able to diagnose stroke and they will be able to provide—I have forgotten the name of the treatment, but the member for Fisher will remind me—

Ms Cook: Are you talking about the—

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The drug to dissolve the clot.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I can't hear. In any case, these services will be provided at the Flinders Medical Centre and the Lyell McEwin 12 hours a day, and at the Royal Adelaide Hospital it will be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service, so that anyone having a stroke can be taken directly there and they will be able to be immediately given the lifesaving treatment that they need because, at the moment, too many people are dying overnight because they are not taken to a location that can given them the treatment that is going to save their lives. This is a very, very important reform and I know that the stroke doctors who are advising this process, this is something they are completely on board with.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before the leader asks another question, I warn the member for Heysen for the second and final time, I call the member for Adelaide to order and warn her a first time for persistent interjection, and I warn for the first time the member for Hammond. Leader.