Residents need to take matters into their own hands when it comes to bulk billing by petitioning both federal and state members of parliament to revise Medicare rebates, Janet Lee writes.
Residents need to take matters into their own hands when it comes to bulk billing by petitioning both federal and state members of parliament to revise Medicare rebates, Jeni writes:
“Queensland being resource rich has many opportunities for the influx of professionals migrating into Central Queensland – the rich lifestyle of excellent schooling, fishing, tropical islands, the Great Barrier Reef and multimillion-dollar yachts showing the opulence of the rich and famous that could put Monte Carlo to shame.
But, let’s look at the underbelly of the health practitioners just here in Rockhampton.
Most medical practices having at least two, maybe three, practitioners, all hard working and well qualified.
In recent times, there have been open complaints about the difficulties in trying to obtain a doctor or an even an appointment with one.
With the cost of living skyrocketing and the lack of medical clinics and doctors, the health of Rockhampton’s families will place a heavy strain on the emergency services.
When one couples this with the lack of bulk billing, along with the general cost of consultation being $90 for 15 minutes, what can one say?
What has happened to the Hippocratic Oath that a medical professional is required to take on graduation?
Obviously here in Rockhampton many a practitioner has forgotten that the Oath is an ancient pledge of medical ethical conduct addressing two important tenets – benefiting the ill and protecting patients against personal and social harm and injustice.
I was attending a medical centre here in Rockhampton and payment was demanded on completion of the visit; when I did not comply, I was hassled and advised that no further appointments would be made.
Once again, one asks the question where the upholding of the Hippocratic Oath is, or is it to the clinic’s banker and into the pockets of the medical practitioner?
One cannot establish a relationship with a health professional if it is timed, and bear in mind country towns are literally screaming for doctors.
Is Rockhampton and other small townships going to end up in the same position as the Gladstone Hospital’s maternity ward – paying out thousands in remuneration to keep a medical practitioner in town and to keep the local population at least partially healthy?
There is an alternative and that is for the private hospitals to open up an emergency outlet at a nominal fee and take the major burden off the base hospital.
I urge the general population based here in Rockhampton to start petitioning both the federal and state members of parliament to look at revising the Medicare rebates and the company taxation on medical practices, but more especially open up bulk billing incentives.
We cannot continue to live in the manner we are in and at the mercy of medical practitioners who don’t take the Hippocratic Oath to realisation.”
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