Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Country Health COUNTRY HEALTH The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council COUNTRY HEALTH The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:05): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Health questions about country hospitals. Leave granted. The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Sadly for the Penola community this month both the doctor and the registrar announced their intention to resign and leave the local hospital, leaving the hospital without a local doctor. The Chair of the Penola District Medical Support Group, Bill Murray, has raised a number of concerns in recent weeks in relation to the current situation in particular at Penola. He indicated that ambulances may as well just whizz past the fancy new accident and emergency unit at Penola hospital (a $750,000 project) because it does not have enough nursing staff to back up the doctor. He goes on to say: Firstly, the problem with having an Accident and Emergency in the town is that we don't have an X-ray machine and most injuries that come through are broken bones. Secondly, we don't have the nursing staff to be able to support the doctor. Then further on in his lengthy commentary in the local media he said: We need to work out the confusion between the administration and the medical officer as to who has the responsibility of admitting patients. My questions to the minister are: 1.	Is the government considering the provision of an X-ray machine for Penola hospital and, if not, why not? 2.	What is the government's response to local concerns about the admitting rights of patients at the hospital and in particular the conflict between the local doctor and the management of the Penola hospital as to who has the final say in relation to the admitting of patients to the hospital? 3.	What will be the weekly cost of employing a locum to replace the GP in Penola? 4.	What action, if any, has the minister taken to help resolve this issue in Penola? The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. This government has invested significant funds in the country to ensure that patients receive medical care close to their homes in modern facilities. Compared with the last year of the previous Liberal government, spending on country public health services has increased by $348.2 million or 91.5 per cent. The 2012-13 state budget committed $728.5 million to public health services in the country. I am advised that the following expenditure has occurred: increased haemodialysis activity in rural areas (up 17 per cent in 2011-12 compared to the previous year) the number of procedures conducted under the elective surgery strategy was a new maximum of 17,394 in 2011-12; $2.283 million was spent on minor works, with the major expenditure for upgrades for emergency departments at Cummins, Mannum, Victor Harbor and Meningie; high voltage switch replacement at Port Pirie and other minor works projects totalling $163,000-odd. in addition, $1.735 million was spent in 2011-12 for the purchase of biomedical equipment, including $341,000 (and a bit of change) for replacement anaesthetic machines for Port Pirie, Gawler and Mount Barker; $318,599, I am advised, for monitoring systems for Port Pirie and Gawler; and $833,756 for other biomedical equipment. The government is also funding a total of 24 dedicated mental health beds in areas of country South Australia. These new beds will be located in hospitals at Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Berri and Mount Gambier. In country South Australia intermediate care services are available for the first time to enable services to be provided closer to where people live. While facility-based services are currently being planned, non-facility places are now available in Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln. South Australia will also benefit from the commonwealth government's announcement of 159 beds and places for our state's mental health system. This additional boost to our mental health system includes two new 10-bed community rehabilitation centres to be established at Whyalla and Mount Gambier. These centres will be similar to those already operating in metropolitan Adelaide, providing rehabilitation support closer to people's homes and families. It is this Labor government that is committed to delivering quality health outcomes to South Australians in our regional and rural areas.