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$790,000 for Victorian rural specialist health

The nutritional needs of children in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the challenge of petrol-sniffing in the Northern Territory are the foci of new federal government funding announced by Health and Aged Care Minister, Dr Michael Wooldridge.

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19 March 2002
KP20/02

$790,000 for Victorian rural specialist health

Health Services in rural Victoria will benefit from an extra $790,000 over three years for new specialist services, the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said today.

The funding is part of the Federal Government's $562 million Regional Health Strategy, which is designed to provide more doctors and health services in rural areas.

Senator Patterson said the $790,000 over three years for the Medical Specialist Outreach Program was designed to deliver more specialist services to areas of need in the State. This would enable people living in rural towns to have improved access to important specialist services that city people took for granted.

Senator Patterson said: "This will provide significant additional specialist medical care for the people of rural Victoria. It comes after considerable consultation with the community and local health service providers, analysing service gaps and how best to fill them.

The additional specialist services will be available in these locations:

Wimmera Catchment Area (Horsham, Hindmarsh, West Wimmera, Yarriambiack)

  • Ear nose and throat services, general medicine, gastroenterology, geriatrics/psychogeriatrics, neurology, oncology, paediatrics, paediatric neurology, paediatric cardiology, paediatric endocrinology, plastic surgery, psychiatry, renal medicine, respiratory medicine, rheumatology, vascular surgery and Aboriginal community controlled health services in Horsham;
  • Ear nose and throat services, general medicine, general surgery, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, psychiatry in Hindmarsh, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack:

Grampians Catchment Area (Ararat, Stawell and Northern Grampians)
  • Dermatology, endocrinology, general medicine, geriatrics, oncology, paediatrics and psychiatry in Ararat and Stawell; and
  • General medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics and psychiatry in the St Arnard & Buloke Shire Townships

"In addition to providing specialist medical services, the visiting specialists will provide education, training, liaison support for local specialists and GPs," she said.

"This funding will help bring specialist services closer to home for people living outside major metropolitan areas and we look forward to the people of rural Victoria receiving the services that they need," Senator Patterson said.

Media Contact: Marnie Gaffney, 0402 892 871