June 14, 2018
Member for Hill Shane Knuth has used State Parliament to ask the Minister for Health to address the staff shortage and limited opening hours at the Dimbulah Health Clinic.
Mr. Knuth said the new $4.5 million Health Clinic was necessary for Dimbulah but without proper staffing the facility could become a white elephant.
‘The Dimbulah Health Centre running at full capacity is small fry compared to what it takes to run a hospital but the extra staffing hours would make an enormous difference for Dimbulah and surrounds’ Mr. Knuth said.
‘After fighting so hard to secure this facility, residents are frustrated that they finally have a health centre without adequate staffing hours allocated’.
Mr. Knuth said recent conversations with the Minister for Health were ‘promising’ with the Minister committing to work with the local community, staff and Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health Service to build up the operating hours of the clinic.
‘We have been able to connect local residents and the Minister to secure a commitment to build up staffing hours and prioritise telehealth specialist services.’
However Mr. Knuth said the reliance on telehealth should not be seen as the ‘silver bullet’ for regional health service provision.
‘E-Health services are an essential part of any long term regional health strategy but nothing can replace the personal touch’ Mr. Knuth said ‘adequate staffing must be provided to ensure residents have essential health care available when they need it’.