Belinda Hassan, Bauke Hovinga call on Steven Miles to deliver a bulk-billing GP to Mackay

Two Labor candidates asked the premier to make another health commitment to Mackay ahead of the election while one disability support worker said she was nervous about the LNP’s plan.

Following a $365m pledge from Premier Steven Miles to open 50 bulk-billing GP clinics, Mackay Labor candidate Belinda Hassan and Whitsunday candidate Bauke Hovinga have called for one to be built in Mackay.

“We’ve been door knocking, talking to people in the community and health care is one of the key issues,” Ms Hassan said.

“I’m calling on the Premier publicly to ensure Mackay gets one of those GP bulk-billing clinics.”

Labor candidate Belinda Hassan was joined by her mother Dorothy Colby at her booth at the Mackay Showground. Photo: Fergus Gregg

It’s understood the state will absorb the cost of setting up the clinics, with GPs able to occupy the space rent free as long as they bulk billed patients.

Kathryn Andrew, a disability support volunteer and president of the Special Needs and Group Support (SNAGS) committee, said Ms Hassan’s advocacy was wonderful.

“I take a lot of people around to doctors and a lot of times they don’t want to go because they can’t afford it,” Ms Andrews said.

Ms Andrews has been nominated for the Mackay region citizen of the year award as well as the Lori Burgess Community Volunteer award for her work with SNAGS and the Endeavour Foundation. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Ms Andrews said she tries to take her clients to bulk billed practices but often has to resort to whatever GP is available, which can cost her clients “a lot of money”.

She also added she has personally struggled with waiting times and said she “can’t afford not to be up and about”.

“I can’t let down the people at SNAGS,” she said.

Northern Beaches resident and emergency doctor Bauke Hovinga said he wants to improve health literacy in the Whitsundays and said bringing more GPs to the region are a part of that.

Whitsunday Labor candidate Bauke Hovinga said a bulk-billing clinic in Mackay would ease pressure on the hospital system.

When asked if he planned to advocate for a bulk-billing clinic in Proserpine Mr Hovinga said people in Proserpine and the Whitsunday region felt neglected.

“I want to tell them they’re not,” Dr Hovinga said.

“I will very much be advocating for accessible health care for them as well.
“If that means I have to advocate for a bulk-billing GP there, I certainly will.”

When asked how she would bring more healthcare workers to Mackay Ms Hassan pointed to Labor’s $40,000 incentives for junior doctors to become GPs and also said relocation benefits, accommodation assistance and study support were being assessed by Labor.

“This GP bulk-billing clinic is just another layer of support from the government,” she said.

With $365m pledged for 50 clinics, each clinic would receive roughly $7m each.

When asked if Ms Hassan believed $7m was enough money to deliver a clinic to the region Ms Hassan said the policy had been costed.

“We’re not just throwing figures out there,” Ms Hassan said.

“The treasury have done they’re calculations … we have made the right choice and have definitely costed all these commitments.

“We look forward to hearing back from the premier’s office.”

LNP candidate for Mackay Nigel Dalton was asked if he intended to advocate for a new bulk-billing clinic in Mackay and made no comment at the time of writing.

Ms Andrew said she doesn’t know much about LNP healthcare policies.

“I do remember the days earlier when the LNP was in,” she said.

“I’m a bit nervous myself.”

Originally published as Belinda Hassan, Bauke Hovinga call on Steven Miles to deliver a bulk-billing GP to Mackay