Country Health needs ‘urgent’ $30 million transfusion
CASH-strapped Country Health could not afford $330,000 to replace a 1972 generator at a regional hospital that failed during last year’s statewide blackout.
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CASH-strapped Country Health could not afford $330,000 to replace a 1972 generator at the Port Augusta hospital which failed during last year’s statewide blackout.
The failure, highlighted in an internal SA Health briefing note, prompted Country Health SA to call for an “urgent” infrastructure spend of $30 million in this year’s state budget.
Country Health SA CEO Maree Geraghty outlined the need for urgent funding during a briefing about why the hospital was plunged into darkness for 5½ hours last September.
“Country Health has recently received approval to submit a business case for $30 million to deal with urgent infrastructure issues,’’ she states.
SA Health refused to reveal which hospitals would receive some of the $30 million, with an announcement expected on Budget day.
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In her briefing to then acting SA Health CEO Vickie Kaminski, Ms Geraghty also reveals: “The (2015 maintenance) report advised consideration of a replacement (Port Augusta) generator with a capacity of 512 kVA at a then assessed cost of $330,000’’.
But the replacement was never carried out at the hospital, which is leased by the State Government from private owners.
In her briefing note Ms Geraghty also links the lack of money to replace the generator to a political decision by the Health Minister to upgrade the Mt Barker hospital at a cost of more than $3 million.
The briefing states: “Country Health has 64 hospitals and 48 aged care facilities and is allocated a minor works budget of $3m-$4m per annum to maintain all facilities, meet all non-fire related compliance issues and address ministerial and other service commitments’.
“For example, in 2013-14 Country Health was required to meet a ministerial commitment to upgrade the Mount Barker Hospital maternity unit at a cost of over $3 million.’’
Health Minister Jack Snelling would not respond to criticism of the Mt Barker Hospital funding.
Release of the document is only possible after an application by Australian Conservatives MLC Robert Brokenshire, who said he was investigating why the health system failed during the September 2016 statewide blackout.
He said hospitals which badly needed funds were Keith, Mt Gambier, Kangaroo Island, Kingscote, Yorketown and Moonta.
Salaried Medical Officers spokesman Dr David Pope said patients were at risk because of the underfunding of infrastructure.
“This is yet another example of hospital infrastructure not being fit for purpose,” he said.
President of the SA Australian Medical Association Professor William Tam said: “It is clear that we need to invest more in rural and regional health infrastructure and services, and we also need to see better planning from SA Health, Country Health and the Government’’.