Hodgman’s cruel health cuts costing lives

Tasmanian Labor
  • Government must reverse health cuts before more Tasmanians die
  • Health systematically underfunded for over half a decade
  • Health system can’t cope with further cuts
  • The Hodgman Minority Government must listen to experts and reverse its cruel health cuts before more Tasmanians die.

    Shadow Health Minister, Sarah Lovell, said Tasmania’s health system cannot cope with any further cuts under the Government’s $450 million slash and burn agenda.

    “All this week, the Coroners Court has heard harrowing evidence of the crisis in our hospital system which lead to patients tragically taking their own lives while waiting for a hospital bed,” Ms Lovell said.

    “This is a heartbreaking and a damning indictment on the state of our health system.

    “Yesterday, the Director of Emergency Medicine at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Dr Emma Huckerby, revealed that 1800 admitted patients waited more than 24 hours for a bed in the hospital last year. That compares to just two across Melbourne’s four major hospitals, with a population of four million people.

    “The Government has systematically underfunded health for over half a decade and the latest budget contains a further $450 million in cuts, including health.

    “We are urging the Minister to listen to these experts and commit to reversing the Government’s callous health cuts before more lives are lost.”

    Sarah Lovell MP – Shadow Health Minister

    /Public Release. View in full here.