CORONAVIRUS — TESTING — YALGOO
96. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. For
the past five years the community has been raising the need for a minimum of
two full-time nurses. With another $5 billion surplus, when will the minister
take the health needs of Yalgoo community seriously and fund two full-time
nurses?
Ms A.
SANDERSON replied:
I reiterate that the number of
presentations per day is 0.8. The funding is appropriate for the level of
staffing there.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member
for North West Central.
Ms A. SANDERSON: We cannot
make it compulsory for people to work in those areas.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member
for North West Central.
Ms A. SANDERSON: As much as
we incentivise and provide very generous loadings to live and work in regional
towns, we are criticised for those loadings by the National Party. We provide
$4 000 per day for people working in some of
those towns, we do everything we can to ensure that those towns have access to
it, but ultimately, people make a choice. We work with metropolitan
hospitals to make sure we can locate people so we can fill those gaps. The
funding is there and we are committed to providing that service, but it is a challenging
environment in which to staff regional and remote communities.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member
for North West Central, you have asked your question.
Ms A. SANDERSON: I put this
question to the member: did you staff two nurses when you were in government
for eight and a half years?