What Vision? Just Indecision and always Division*Health Minister Jim McGinty incessantly talks about his health vision. The Desert Rat suspects McGinty does not have a coherent strategy; rather he is just preoccupied with short term fixes to crises. This usually results in shifting the problem rather than fixing it – thus ensuring another crisis. See ambulance ramping.
His health planning incompetence is reflected everywhere.
For example, look at the obstetrics mess.
2001 $2.5 million spent on an upgrade of Woodside Maternity Hospital in East Fremantle. A new roof, air-conditioning and two theatres upgraded.
2005 August. Announcement a further $2 million upgrade of Woodside Maternity Hospital.
2005 August. One week later, $2 million upgrade suspended! Feasibility “study” is announced to move Woodside Maternity Hospital to a wing of the failed*, half-empty Kaleeya Hospital.
*McGinty needed a solution to fill the underperforming Kaleeya Hospital where he still can’t get surgeons to operate because there is no intensive care unit. It did bloodless surgery before he bought it.
2005 December. McGinty rushes announcement to move Woodside to Kaleeya just before Xmas to avoid bad publicity. Feasibility study claims a $2 million annual recurrent savings from closing Woodside Hospital. No required Business Case Study done and feasibility figure are ridiculous. The management of Woodside Hospital were treated with gross disrespect.
2006 April. Move to Kaleeya Hospital ward rushed and poorly organised. Move is temporary (for 5 years) until Obstetrics and Gynaecology facilities are available at Stage 1 of Fiona Stanley Hospital in 2010.
Kaleeya Hospital is unsuitable for maternity but McGinty presses ahead to fill a ward of a half empty underperforming hospital which he bought with much fanfare before the 2004 election for elective surgery.
2008 January. Massive budget overruns at Kaleeya Hospital Mr McGinty?
Completion date of Fiona Stanley Hospital has blown out to early 2013. Obstetrics and gynaecology have secretly been removed from Stage 1 of Fiona Stanley. Financial blow out of Fiona Stanley Hospital over $700 million announced.
Kaleeya Maternity ward will probably need to operate for at least 15 years despite short-comings.
Woodside Hospital is left in mothballs for 18 months - without any plans for its future. McGinty complains about lack of suitable mental health accommodation but too spineless to use Woodside which is in his electorate.
Were the erratic changes and delays above just plain incompetence by McGinty or weren’t the public told the truth about the “savings" or move to Fiona Stanley Hospital?
Which is it Mr McGinty? Worse still, is it both?
* "History never repeats itself - but it often rhymes" Mark Twain
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