Thousands protest downgrading of hospital services

Issue 

Kamala Emanuel, Hobart

Tasmania's Labor government continues to feel public anger at its decision to support a private hospital downgrading services in violation of its contract with the government. At least 2000 people attended an open-air meeting in Devonport on March 28 to protest against the changes at the Mersey Hospital.

On March 16, the hospital operators and the state government jointly announced that obstetric services would end and emergency services would be downgraded at the Mersey Hospital in Latrobe (near Devonport). Three days before the March 28 meeting, a similar meeting in Latrobe attracted 1700 people.

The hospital's contract with the government obliges it to provide the services, however the hospital's management — supported by the government — is claiming that staff shortages make this impossible.

Echoing similar calls made at the Latrobe meeting, the Devonport meeting passed motions of no confidence in Healthscope (the hospital operator), the state government and state health minister David Llewellyn. Both meetings called for the hospital to be brought back under state government control with services upgraded so that it could become a full teaching hospital.

The Health and Community Services Union, which covers ambulance staff, has highlighted that the increased ambulance services required by the new arrangements are causing significant strain for ambulance officers. HACSU assistant secretary Tim Jacobson told the March 31 Hobart Mercury: "We have had a report that more people are working overtime than on rosters and fatigue is becoming a big issue."

The chief executive of the Ambulance Service acknowledged that there is a strain that can't be maintained long-term.

[Kamala Emanuel is the Socialist Alliance candidate for the state upper house seat Elwick.]

From Green Left Weekly, April 7, 2004.
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