Shadow Minister for Health, Bill Yan, says lengthy wait times and the mass cancellation of elective surgeries at hospitals across the Territory shows Natasha Fyles’s gross inability to manage the Territory’s health needs.
“Opposition questions submitted through a formal parliamentary process has revealed the number of elective surgeries cancelled or rescheduled since January 1, 2021:
- 75 percent at Royal Darwin Hospital
- 50 percent at Palmerston Regional Hospital
- 75 percent at Katherine Hospital
- 79 percent at Gove District Hospital
- 58 percent at Alice Springs Hospital
“It’s also been revealed Category 3 patients, who should be scheduled to have surgery with 12 months, are waiting up to three years. While, patients with the most urgent elective surgery needs are waiting up to three months, despite the fact they should be operated on within 30 days.
“These figure are absolutely disgraceful.
“RDH has suffered four Code Yellow bed blocks in less than 12 months, meaning the hospital is operating at 140% capacity and nurses are being forced to regularly work 18 hours shifts – yet the Gunner Government claims only 35 surgeries were deferred due to those emergency situations at the NT’s main hospital.
“The Health Minister is clearly overwhelmed managing the Howard Springs quarantine facility as well as the day to day health needs of the NT and Territorians are suffering. The Gunner Government needs to hand Howard Springs back to the Federal Government so it can focus on the delivery of critical health services to Territorians.
“Minister Fyles has overseen multiple Code Yellows, remote clinic closures, and failed to successfully rollout the COVID vaccination in remote communities – which has resulted in Labor’s vaccine mandate and left people living in the bush exposed.
“Labor’s $9 billion debt is having a catastrophic impact on the delivery of health services right across the Territory and the Gunner Government has no ability to plug the widespread staff shortages. The NT is stone cold broke and our health is paying the price.
“Labor can’t afford to properly resource our health system and hospitals because Michael Gunner maxed out the credit card on pet projects including $12 million for the dodgy grandstand deal, and $35 million for teenage criminals. It’s not good enough and Territorians deserve better,” said Mr Yan.
ENDS