Health

Sheryl Lowe. South East medical clinics have been affected by doctor shortages resulting in cuts to services and bulk billing. Clinic spokespersons say the Medicare rebate has not kept up with rising costs. Attracting doctors to the South East has been a topic of conversation for many years with one clinic manager saying a 12-month remote rural stint should be built into the training model.

Chris Oldfield. Meals of “mashed mush” and “baby food”, people left on toilets, others often feeling cold and rooms not cleaned properly are some of the sad tales from residents and their families of Moreton Bay House ... The News has now spoken to several people - residents and their families and friends - about a raft of problems which saw the aged care facility fall into disrepute, failing 19 of 42 requirements listed under eight Commonwealth standards.

Chris Oldfield. Member for Barker Tony Pasin has praised the federal authority that sanctioned the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN) over its management of Naracoorte’s Moreton Bay House. The Commonwealth Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission ruled on May 24 “there is an immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or wellbeing” of residents as reported last week by The News.

A lifesaving $6.75 million laboratory at Townsville Hospital is manufacturing medications for North Queensland patients. Minister for Health and Ambulance Service Yvette D'Ath visited the pharmacy manufacturing unit, which allows lifesaving care to be delivered closer to home. ‘‘The laboratory produces about 5000 medications a year for patients requiring bone marrow transplants, oncology treatment, clinical trials, autoimmune conditions and intensive care,’’ Minister D’Ath.

Chris Oldfield. The Commonwealth Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has imposed sanctions on Naracoorte’s Moreton Bay House stating “there is an immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or wellbeing” of residents. Following an audit, Moreton Bay House failed 19 of 42 requirements listed under the Commonwealth’s eight industry standards for aged care and safety.

Chris Oldfield. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission found 19 failures as its reasons to impose a “sanction or notice to agree” against the provider of care for Moreton Bay House.

Mark Blythe. This Sunday will see another Maldon Swap Meet held at the Maldon Racecourse Reserve; the resurgence of events post COVID speaks volumes for the resilience and dedication of Maldon’s army of organisers and volunteers. A lot of rural and regional towns are very busy trying to pick up the pieces of their event industries after the wilderness years of COVID, but Maldon has managed to keep all of their events ticking over during the last two years, in one form or another, even if they were just on life support.

Gabrielle Duykers. Ten new places are available at Stirling Lodge Aged Care after a much needed expansion was officially completed last week. Located at Keith and District Hospital, the lodge recently underwent a $4.5 million renovation project, funded by a $2.6 million commitment from the Federal Government, a $1 million donation from an anonymous donor, and other donations from members of the community.

The Liberal member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell says last week’s code yellow call at Mildura Base Public Hospital proves the dire need for a new hospital in the town ... The code yellow was called because both the hospital and the emergency department had reached full capacity and wait times for patients exceeded twelve hours.