Stroke Service

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): The minister in his answer suggested that two people wouldn't be sufficient to cover the statewide service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. How many clinicians would be adequate to provide this statewide service and when will those clinicians be in place?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:30): As soon as possible, but I point out there's not a very large number of clinicians in Australia who have the skills and the qualifications to do this procedure. You can't just pull someone straight out of medical school and train them up in order to do this procedure. This takes many, many years of study, and there are not many people in all of Australia who are qualified to do this particular procedure.

It doesn't need to be many more than two. We don't need dozens of people, nor would it be appropriate or safe to have dozens of clinicians who are in a position to do this, but certainly I take the point that we do need more clinicians—

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Kavel to order.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: He's been at it all day, sir.

Mr Marshall: How many should we have?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: We don't need dozens of clinicians to be able to do it, but we do need a few more who are able to do it. It's not something that will happen overnight because of the length of time that it takes to train a clinician to be able to do this and because of the fact that there is not—

Mr Marshall: Has Tasmania got more than South Australia?

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —a large number of clinicians around Australia who are able to provide this service.

Mr Wingard: How many people have to die for you to act?

The SPEAKER: The member for Mitchell is called to order.