Joanna Tucker, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
With Yorke Peninsula’s population expected to increase by up to 10,000 in the next decade, and more than 500 homes expected to be built on the Copper Coast in coming years, calls for a serious upgrade of the region’s health-care system have strengthened.
Hundreds of residents are currently travelling to Adelaide regularly to access health care, and with the region’s biggest hospital at Wallaroo offering only 21 beds, there are calls for the State Government to address a growing health crisis.
Care motion. Jane Smith with bus driver Craig Lewis on her way to Adelaide for a specialist appointment. Photo: Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Wallaroo Community Development Association vice-president Trevor Cox was concerned about Wallaroo Hospital not being able to cope if the population increased further after new rezoning plans were recently proposed in Wallaroo.
“Our hospital is trying to cater for much more than it was originally designed for,” Mr Cox said.
“Let’s not wait until it drowns before trying to rescue it.”
Health Minister Chris Picton last week wrote an open letter to the South Australian people praising his government’s commitment to rural health.
Mr Picton wrote of an $8 million upgrade to Port Augusta Hospital and $15m in developments at Whyalla Hospital, but did not specifically mention YP.
Narungga MP Fraser Ellis in 2022 launched a petition to improve local health services and systems, which attracted 11,000 signatures.
The petition called for an urgent reclassification of Wallaroo Hospital as the major health centre for the Narungga electorate.
Mr Ellis said last week the petition was yet to be debated in State Parliament and the situation would worsen if the population continued to grow as predicted.
“When you boil it all down, the government is there to provide essential services so that the population can live and thrive,” Mr Ellis said.
“It is obvious that the government has not provided our region with the level of health care that it needs.
“We’ve got a 21-bed hospital in a community like the Copper Coast and a region like the Yorke Peninsula — it’s not big enough.”
Squeeze on health and housing
Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis said the government often fell back on statistics that showed the activity levels of hospitals, but those statistics often did not tell the whole story.
“There’s so many people that have decided to now bypass local healthcare and go straight to Adelaide, as they fear they won’t get the level of service they want.”
The Yorke and Northern Local Health Network strategic plan states that, by 2036, the 80-and-over age group was expected to increase by more than 72 per cent.
The plan also described the Copper Coast as an area with a significantly higher level of disadvantage.
Wallaroo alone was expected to have an 86 per cent increase in population for people aged 80 and over by 2036, and it was a site with the largest projected population growth.
Challenges the YNLHN faces in our region also include the retention of staff, rising rates of chronic disease, ageing infrastructure and systems, and the implementation of electronic records.
YNLHN acting chief executive Verity Paterson said the network was committed to providing quality health care close to home, such as Wallaroo Rehabilitation Centre, establishing a cancer clinic in Wallaroo, increasing stroke rehabilitation on YP, and expanding of women’s health services.
“Population growth and how people choose to access local health care is a key feature of our current YNLHN strategic plan,” Ms Paterson said.
“We will continue to work closely with our local community to ensure long-term needs are planned for and met.”
Hundreds of readers last week flooded the Yorke Peninsula Country Times with personal accounts of health-system issues faced, including waiting months for a GP visit, driving to Adelaide every week while pregnant, and having to move to the city temporarily for chemotherapy.
Jane Smith of Kadina consistently has to travel to Adelaide to access further healthcare, which is done with the help of Yorke Peninsula Coaches through health service Care in Motion.
Ms Smith has battled breast cancer in the past and, during that time, she travelled to Adelaide more than 50 times in one year.
“It was in what I call my train-wreck year, as it was just one thing after another,” Ms Smith said.
“It’s a great service and I’m so grateful that we’ve got it here.”
Kim Coombs, of Kadina, has been travelling with her husband Paul regularly since his cancer diagnosis.
“It’s been just over two years since he started chemotherapy, and we’ve clocked over 100,000 kilometres on our car,” Ms Coombs said.
“Up until recently, he had to go every three weeks for chemotherapy and every six weeks for scans.”
Ms Coombs said the scans Paul had to have were not available at Wallaroo Hospital.
Maxine Cullen, of Moonta, travels with her husband to Adelaide an average of three times per month.
She said they both try their best to book their specialist appointments on the same day.
“Once I had to have a chest X-ray, an ultrasound and a mammogram, as I’ve got pains under my left rib, and I rang up Wallaroo and they said we don’t do mammograms here,” Ms Cullen said.
“It’s two hours there and two hours back — it’s just so draining.”
Ms Cullen has also been seeing a cardiologist since 2014, and has been told the Moonta Medical Centre has a visiting cardiologist but does not have the room to take on new patients.
She said, because of this, she did not qualify for the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme — a service that provides some reimbursement for country patients and approved escorts for travel and accommodation costs.
“There’s so many people that have decided to now bypass local health care and go straight to Adelaide, as they fear they won’t get the level of service they want.” – Fraser Ellis Narungga MP
What you say”¦
“Almost all of our appointments are in Adelaide, rarely do we go down here.” – Oliver Dee, Stansbury
“The PATS scheme is good but doesn’t always work out, especially if you are the one taking other people in your own vehicle.”– Jeanette Stevens, Kadina
“I have to travel for oncology, ophthalmology, respiratory appointments.” – Katherine Stubing, Port Broughton
“I have to travel to Adelaide for chemotherapy treatment every five weeks, and then the haematologist. The only other hospital that does my chemotherapy is Port Pirie. I have to stay down for a week at a time.” – Raeleen Ferres, Moonta
“Medical appointments in Adelaide for the elderly take a lot out of them. There has to be a better way.” – Cathy Glazbrook, Minlaton
“Every two weeks we travel from Ardrossan to Flinders Hospital for chemotherapy and the odd scan in-between.”– Annmarie Hicks, Ardrossan
“Hubby travels to Adelaide every couple of months for specialist appointments and now has to use a GP in Adelaide as we can’t get an appointment here in Edithburgh for weeks in advance.” – Deb Roberts, Edithburgh
“Husband has epidural infections with a CT scan, which are not done here on the Yorke Peninsula – these services should be available here.” – Tania Stephens, Balgowan
“I travel monthly for cancer treatment and other medical appointments that require hospital admissions.” – Holly Simmons, Maitland
“I travel to Adelaide nearly every second month for my elderly parents.” – Julie Barlow, Yorketown
“We go every six weeks for my partner Bevan, for his oncology appointments.” – Lynette Crowell, Price
This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 23 July 2024.
