"public health" Pages

The news that test samples of installed roof panels in the beleaguered Perth Children's Hospital have come back positive for asbestos raises many issues. Before everything else, the health of workers is paramount. We can only imagine their anxiety living with the fear of possibly contracting an asbestos-related disease in the future. According to Shadow Health Minister, Roger Cook, the PCH is effectively a contaminated site.

But there are other concerns. 

The West has accused some of the 54,000 people waiting for a medical appointment of resorting to lying to get on multiple wait-lists ("Patients lie to jump surgery queue", 29 June 2015).  The blaming continues with accusations of using false addresses to get duplicate referrals as well as "hospital shopping".

Our question is: Why is there a need to resort to such desperate measures?

Recent stories in the media regarding the Barnett government's plans for Royal Perth Hospital are throwing up a few all-too-familiar red flags. With an election promise to retain and redevelop RPH but with no money to do it, it seems the Premier is turning to his familiar strategy of privatisation to plug the many holes in his rhetoric - and budget.