Published Friday, 27 April, 2007 at 09:44 AM
Minister for Health
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
Rocky needs MRI scanner: Robertson tells Abbott
Health Minister Stephen Robertson has renewed his call for the Howard Government to give Rockhampton full-time access to a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner.
Mr Robertson said Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott had dismissed the Queensland Government’s earlier request for an MRI licence.
“That is why I have again written to Mr Abbott to press Rockhampton’s case for a full time MRI licence,” he said.
“I am disappointed the Commonwealth Government still refuses to reinstate full-time access to a Medicare funded MRI service in Rockhampton.
“It is more than a year since I first raised this issue with Mr Abbott and while he continues to drag his feet he is putting patients at risk.”
A Commonwealth licence is required to operate an MRI scanner which is used for non-invasive diagnosis and treatment planning for a wide range of diseases, including cancer.
Mr Robertson said until August 2005, Rockhampton Hospital had an MRI scanner seven days a week for the past 10 years, but now had to share one with Bundaberg and Gladstone.
“This is a crazy bureaucratic decision which is significantly hindering Rockhampton’s ability to diagnose and treat its patients in a timely manner,” he said.
“Rockhampton Hospital admits more patients than ever before but is forced to share a critical piece of equipment with two other regional centres.
“What we want is for Mr Abbott to grant a full-time MRI licence to Rockhampton Hospital with the existing licence to be shared between Bundaberg and Gladstone.
“Rockhampton has previously had an MRI scanner all to itself for a decade.”
Mr Robertson said Rockhampton Hospital was the major referral hospital for Central Queensland – a thriving part of the state buoyed by the mining and industry booms.
“The Rockhampton Hospital acts as the referral centre and major trauma hospital for 200,000 Central Queenslanders so it is imperative that access to an MRI for diagnostic imaging is available 24 hours per day and 365 days per year.
“And it is not just public patients affected by the Commonwealth’s decision.
“Private patients in Rockhampton no longer have immediate access to an MRI scanner for two weeks out of every four.
“Mr Abbott should put patients before politics and give the people of Rockhampton the required access to a full-time MRI scanner.”
Mr Robertson said Rockhampton’s limited access had significant consequences for urgent referrals.
“If you require an MRI scan in Rockhampton and it happens to be during Rockhampton’s ‘week off’, you are either going to have to wait or go elsewhere as far as Brisbane,” he said.
27 April, 2007
MEDIA: MATTHEW JUTSUM 3225 2680
Mr Robertson said Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott had dismissed the Queensland Government’s earlier request for an MRI licence.
“That is why I have again written to Mr Abbott to press Rockhampton’s case for a full time MRI licence,” he said.
“I am disappointed the Commonwealth Government still refuses to reinstate full-time access to a Medicare funded MRI service in Rockhampton.
“It is more than a year since I first raised this issue with Mr Abbott and while he continues to drag his feet he is putting patients at risk.”
A Commonwealth licence is required to operate an MRI scanner which is used for non-invasive diagnosis and treatment planning for a wide range of diseases, including cancer.
Mr Robertson said until August 2005, Rockhampton Hospital had an MRI scanner seven days a week for the past 10 years, but now had to share one with Bundaberg and Gladstone.
“This is a crazy bureaucratic decision which is significantly hindering Rockhampton’s ability to diagnose and treat its patients in a timely manner,” he said.
“Rockhampton Hospital admits more patients than ever before but is forced to share a critical piece of equipment with two other regional centres.
“What we want is for Mr Abbott to grant a full-time MRI licence to Rockhampton Hospital with the existing licence to be shared between Bundaberg and Gladstone.
“Rockhampton has previously had an MRI scanner all to itself for a decade.”
Mr Robertson said Rockhampton Hospital was the major referral hospital for Central Queensland – a thriving part of the state buoyed by the mining and industry booms.
“The Rockhampton Hospital acts as the referral centre and major trauma hospital for 200,000 Central Queenslanders so it is imperative that access to an MRI for diagnostic imaging is available 24 hours per day and 365 days per year.
“And it is not just public patients affected by the Commonwealth’s decision.
“Private patients in Rockhampton no longer have immediate access to an MRI scanner for two weeks out of every four.
“Mr Abbott should put patients before politics and give the people of Rockhampton the required access to a full-time MRI scanner.”
Mr Robertson said Rockhampton’s limited access had significant consequences for urgent referrals.
“If you require an MRI scan in Rockhampton and it happens to be during Rockhampton’s ‘week off’, you are either going to have to wait or go elsewhere as far as Brisbane,” he said.
27 April, 2007
MEDIA: MATTHEW JUTSUM 3225 2680