‘More specialised services’: Labor promises $2m boost for women’s health
A Labor government would boost women’s health with free specialised clinics around the state, Opposition leader Dean Winter pledged on Friday.
Tasmania
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A Labor government would boost women’s health with free specialised clinics around the state, Opposition leader Dean Winter pledged on Friday.
Mr Winter said the policy was a comprehensive package that would invest in services that meet the needs of Tasmanian women.
He said the funding would allow fortnightly women’s health clinics in places like Kingston, Sorell, Ulverstone, Scottsdale, Queenstown, and other areas around the state, to be expanded to meet community need.
“After 11 years of the Liberals, it’s more difficult for women to get the healthcare they need — too many women are sent home from emergency departments with their concerns not fully investigated or taken seriously enough. Labor has listened to Tasmanian women right across our state,” he said.
Mr Winter said Labor’s $2m would help it offer services beyond the three clinics in Glenorchy, Launceston and Burnie where it currently see thousands of women each year.
“Today’s announcement is a $2m announcement to make sure that we can provide more outreach services to Tasmanians who desperately need it, women who need more specialised services, more contraceptive services in regional towns and suburbs,” he said.
Labor health spokeswoman for health, mental health and wellbeing Ella Haddad said
“Women’s Health is a critical issue right across the state,” she said.
“We’ve been listening to clinicians and listening to Tasmanian women who, for too long, have been struggling to get access to services.
“This is part of a broader women’s health package that also includes other elements as well, like extending prenatal pregnancy checks to regional locations, so that expectant mums don’t need to travel to major hospitals for routine checks throughout pregnancy.
“It will include new clinical guidelines for women presenting at Tasmanian hospitals with abdominal or pelvic pain or other women’s health issues who currently are sometimes being turned away when they should be being seen and treated.
“And it includes a range of other elements, including funding for Women’s Health Tasmania, $500,000 recurrent to their budget as well to be able to continue the health promotion work that they do.”
Family Planning Tasmania CEO Marcus Di Martino welcomed Labor’s commitment.
“We have performed outreach services in the past, and we look forward to with this new substantial package, reigniting that and reinstituting that,” he said.
“We have staff that are willing and able and we’re up to support our rural and regional GPS in providing additional services in remote communities.”
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