DISAPPOINTMENT AS LABOR’S HEALTH BUDGET IGNORES RADIATION TREATMENT

The people of the Limestone Coast should judge Labor on their actions, not words.

The South Australian State Labor Budget has failed to acknowledge the possibility of delivering radiation treatment in the Limestone Coast despite a feasibility study
pending.

The South Australian Premier seems to be all talk and no action when it comes to the health and wellbeing of regional South Australians with the promised Mount Gambier Hospital Upgrades still in the design phase after two years and no funding set aside to support the delivery of radiation treatment.

Last month’s Federal Budget confirmed the $4.3 million allocated by the former Federal Liberal Government for Limestone Coast cancer treatment remains available for use to establish a Radiation Treatment service in the South East however, the State Government continues to refuse to allocate funding necessary to establish a radiation treatment service for the region.

While we await the outcomes of the feasibility study it would have been nice to see the State Government indicate some willingness to take the proposal seriously by allocating funding in the State budget.

The lack of any mention of new and improved health services in the Limestone Coast that would see patients receive treatment closer to home is symbolic of Labor’s centralist approach to health care provision and government more generally. The Limestone Coast cancer patients deserve better.