Nationals’ health plan gets supports, says Gulaptis
Country doctors represented by a range of rural groups at the beginning of National Rural Health Action Week have backed much of the Nationals’ Plan for North Coast Hospitals, says Page Nationals candidate Chris Gulaptis.
National Rural Health Action Week is backed by the Rural Doctors Association, the Australian Nursing Federation, the National Farmers Federation and Country Women’s Association.
“These people know better than the bureaucrats what they need to do to serve country patients and they are asking for three things: more doctors and nurses in the bush, a Rural Health Obligation and increased and quarantined funding for country hospitals.” Mr Gulaptis said.
“My plan to secure the future of North Coast hospitals delivers on all three fronts.
“We will get more nurses with our new nursing schools in hospitals; we will implement an obligation for State governments to give us our fair share of hospital dollars on the North Coast; and our hospitals will be handed back to the community through Local Hospital Boards.
“Labor needs to come on board for the sake of North Coast patients: accept the $18 million the Prime Minister has delivered to fix Grafton Hospital, and get on with the job of delivering proper cancer services in Lismore with the $8 million also provided by the Coalition Government.”
