Page 2754 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
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need. I have visited ACT Pathology and have seen firsthand the critical work being done by committed staff in the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of many diseases that may impact on our community’s lives.
I have helped celebrate the enormous contribution our nurse-led walk-in centres in Belconnen and Tuggeranong have made over the past five years, highlighting just how important the new walk-in centres in Gungahlin, Weston Creek and the inner north will be. I helped to launch Donate Life Week and as part of this had the privilege of hearing the stories of some very inspiring donor recipients and families of donors.
I have congratulated the winners of this year’s NAIDOC health awards and celebrated dedicated individuals whose work is helping to close the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT. I have met some of the volunteers of the Canberra Auxiliary, acknowledging the tremendous contribution they have made over nearly 47 years. Over this time they have raised more than $4 million, and these funds have been used to purchase lifesaving equipment, further education for hospital staff and to update well-loved areas of the hospital.
As Minister for Health I look forward to continuing to learn about our public health system and to celebrate the wonderful work our health professionals and non-clinical support staff deliver for our community every day. I look forward to working with the leaders of our public health system in the Health Directorate and Canberra Health Services and Calvary and our partners in the private and community sectors as we continue to build a better healthcare system that can meet the needs of our growing community today and in years to come. Critically, I look forward to continuing to meet with the staff and working with them to ensure that they can come to work and continue to make a difference in a positive environment.
I commend the 2019-20 budget to the Assembly and the very significant investments this government is making to modernise and futureproof our health system.
MS ORR (Yerrabi) (11.49): Providing Canberrans with access to quality public health care is a top priority for this government. While Canberra Hospital is the major hospital in this city and provides various essential health services, Canberra’s north side is home to a wide range of hospital and health services that residents engage with every day.
The 2019-20 budget builds on this government’s record investment in health care for Canberrans and provides Canberra’s north with its fair share of health funding. Calvary Public Hospital is the main hospital for acute public health care for people in Yerrabi. As a government we are futureproofing the hospital to ensure it keeps up with the needs of all of us who live on the north side.
As part of the ACT government’s investment in Calvary Public Hospital, the capacity of the emergency department will be increased and more doctors and nurses will be available to provide quality health care. The number of operating theatres at Calvary Public Hospital will also be boosted to enable more people to undergo elective surgery.
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