A PETITION has been launched in an attempt to force the State Government to provide renal dialysis services in rural Queensland.
Gregory MP Lachlan Millar said he had taken the action in an attempt to have the services provided through both the both Emerald Hospital and the Longreach Hospital.
“It is inconceivable that a government would expect Queenslanders to travel hundreds of kilometres, three times a week, every week of the year, for dialysis care and not provide these services locally,” Mr Millar said.
“I’ve been challenging the health minister for a long time to provide a dialysis chair for both Emerald Hospital and Longreach Hospital, so those patients, after adequate training, are able to fulfil their dialysis treatments in their local communities.”
The petition comes following Health Minister Steven Miles ruled out placing the chairs in the rural centres.
“Often times if people’s circumstances require it than need to go where those health services are located,” Dr Miles told ABC Radio. .
“The job of the government I guess is to make sure that across the health system we have the services for Queensland.”
It is inconceivable that a government would expect Queenslanders to travel hundreds of kilometres, three times a week, every week of the year, for dialysis care and not provide these services locally.
- Lachlan Millar, Gregory MP
Ian Williams is an Emerald resident who travels to Rockhampton three times a week for treatment, while undergoing the training for over a year.
“It’s draining on my friends, my family and mostly myself,” Mr Williams said.
“I leave Emerald at 6am on Monday morning and don’t return until 10pm that evening on the bus.
“I’ve been doing this for over a year now. When I started the training, I was told that the end goal was that I was able to complete the dialysis myself locally in Emerald.
“That’s not going to be possible without the minister delivering a chair to Emerald Hospital for me and many other dialysis patients to use.”
Mr Millar said it was heartbreaking, especially knowing that Emerald had a dialysis chair as late as 2013.
“The minister needs to deliver these services to Emerald and Longreach today”.
CLICK HERE to sign the petition.