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As the Northern Rivers community faces its third flood in seven months, healthcare access for impacted residents remains compromised.
“We know from previous floods that there will be significant health needs in the community following this weather event. Governments, both State and Federal, have a second chance to do the right thing and step in immediately to support healthcare providers, so they in turn can support their community,” said AMA (NSW) President, Dr Michael Bonning.
“While the severity of this event is yet to be revealed, it will likely trigger further mental distress in a community that has been traumatised by the catastrophic floods of February and March.
“In addition to attending to their physical needs, residents will need health professionals to support their mental health needs.
“Unfortunately, many of these providers have not been able to resume full activity from the initial floods, as they have been left to repair their businesses with little to no support from Government.
“Medical practices, GPs, pharmacists, allied health professionals have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to try and repair their businesses so they can keep providing health services to the community.
“But many are considering whether they can keep the doors open. Should they leave Lismore, residents in the community would be significantly impacted and healthcare access would be further limited. Once you lose these core health services it is very difficult – if not impossible – to find new health providers to take their place,” Dr Bonning said.
The AMA, along with several other key health organisations, recently held an emergency summit in Lismore to call on Government to provide immediate grant funding for 25 health service providers in the community that are struggling to recover from the previous natural disaster.
“We are asking Government to back the NSW Rural Doctors Network’s Healthcare Flood Recovery Grant Proposal and provide $15 million to assist these businesses in rebuilding and resuming full-service provision to residents. It’s a small amount – especially when compared to the health costs of delayed care which can make conditions that would have been manageable when caught early by a GP into something more life-threatening that requires hospital care,” Dr Bonning said.
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