'Who is benefiting from our loss?'
In 2018-19 every 385 Australians were entitled to share one "timely and accessible to all" public hospital bed. And 68.4 percent of hospitals had 50 or fewer beds.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The bed should be within 20 kilometers of where 80 per cent of the population live. Outside 20 kilometers you are "far from a hospital" and your chances of death increase.
Each public hospital bed generates six health worker positions; most experienced health workers receive $192,171 per year. Therefore, each bed generates $1,153,026 annually.
Nowra's 50,000 people are entitled to 130 beds. Nowra already has 143 beds generating $164.882718 million in wages. And now they are getting a $434 million upgrade.
Bay and Basin's 34,465 people are entitled to 90 beds. Bay and Basin have no hospital and no beds. 90 beds should generate $103.77234 million into their local economy annually.
In Milton Ulladulla, 22,133 people are entitled to 57 beds. Milton Ulladulla has 32 beds, 25 beds short. The Milton Ulladulla economy is missing out on $28.82565 million every year.
Who is benefiting from our loss?
Where is the equity?
Where are the ones we elected to represent us?
Where is the outrage?
Please, if you can, prove me wrong!
References:
- www.quora.com/How-many-employees-does-a-250-bed-hospital-have-on-average
- www.ama.com.au/articles/ama-public-hospital-report-card-2020 AND https://au.talent.com/salary?job=nsw+hospital#:~:text=How%20much%20does%20a%20Nsw%20hospital%20make%20in%20Australia%3F&text=The%20average%20nsw%20hospital%20salary%20in%20Australia%20is%20%24103%2C586%20per,up%20to%20%24221%2C813%20per%20year.
Bill Hancock
'Time is of the essence' with climate change
The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet.
This is the central finding of the most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a few days ago.
It warns that any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.
But you would have no inkling of urgency if you relied upon the lead of our Federal Government. Because it is simply not there.
The Morrison Government has campaigned against stronger climate action at every election since coming to office. Electric cars couldn't tow your boat and would destroy your weekend! Coal fondled in our Parliament!
Luckily our states are taking whatever action they can but the absence of Federal leadership means we are falling well short.
I am sure most people realise Morrison's climate policy is inadequate to the point of being dangerously farcical.
I also reckon our young people particularly know it's their future at stake.
Rather than being a financial imposition the move to renewables and the new industries they will bring will be great opportunities.
Extremes of weather-fires, floods, droughts - are now commonplace. Fossil fuels must be phased out asap.
It is surely time for the government's fantasising over coal and gas to end. Time is of the essence.
George Thompson, Shoalhaven Heads
Call to say thank you to police officers
Take a moment to think back in time. Before the catastrophic bush fires of 20/19, 20/20, how many of us had heard the phrase, First Responders?
This was a term used by the Police Force, Fire brigades, Ambulance brigades, Emergency units, SES, etc, not a term that was used in conversation by "You and I," the general public so to speak.
Then came 2019/ 2020 things changed for us all, (and oh how they changed).
Catastrophic bush fires, then at the same time we were subjected to the first wave of the insidious COVID virus.
As if that wasn't enough, severe flooding came to bear down on us with some of the worst floods recorded to that time.
All this within the space of 12 months.
While COVID is still wreaking havoc within the community, we are at present being subjected to even more severe floods, that have again written new records for their devastating and destructive effects.
When you read and combine these facts, they sound like something out of a horror movie, a fictitious story of ongoing catastrophic events, something that is extremely hard to comprehend, and come to terms with. But unfortunately they are facts, as we know them to be.
While all of these disasters are taking place around us we look for and call for "help", yes you guessed it, we call our FIRST RESPONDERS.
Each and every one of our first responce organisations are unique within their own right, each professionally trained and dedicated to respond to their specific charter in a professional and expediant manner.
However there is one first responce organisation that is there at nearly every first responce call out, and that is our Police Force, (The Thin Blue Line).
Fires, police are there. Floods, police are there. COVID Checking, police are there. Accidents, police are there. Crimes, police are there. Rescues, police are there. Domestic issues... The list goes on and on and on.
The community's local show, police are there to prevent, control, or assist with any emergencies. A street rally, again our police force is there to prevent, control or assist with any emergencies.
Imagine turning up to work and your first call out is a domestic dispute, followed by a vehicle accident, then arresting a criminal, followed by being called to a suicide. Can you imagine this kind of thing on a daily basis.
Yes it is hard to imagine but that's somewhat of an overview of what our police force are required to do to help maintain the status quo within the community.
With all due and humble respect to the other first responce organisations. I am not in any manner trying to take away from the importance of the job that they do, nor their integral importance as part of the overall FIRST RESPONDER group, just highlighting the overwhelming importance of our wonderful multi tasking Police Force.
Thought that I may add, I am not a police officer, but I have seen first hand what they are required to do and I have seen and heard of the toll that their dangerous work takes on the people of our police force.
I, like you, am a member of the community and just thought how lucky we all are to have such wonderful dedicated, special people who put their lives on the line every day for us.
So when you see our police at work or just in the street, stop and say hello and thank them for the job that they do for you, your families and our community.