SA Public Health Protest

On September 18 South Australian nurses will be joined by salaried 
doctors, allied health professionals, hospital support staff and ambulance 
officers in a rally against health cuts. More bed closures were signaled at 
Noarlunga Hospital soon after the unions announced the plans for the rally, 
adding to the determination of health workers to stop the Government's 
attack on the state's public hospital system.

The rally will be at 11am at Victoria Square, marching to Elder Park for a 
protest picnic.

The union and community support the nurses — members of the Australian 
Nursing Federation  (ANF) — are receiving is strong. 

"The rally will provide an opportunity for salaried doctors to join with 
other health workers and the general public", said Rebecca Kemmery, from 
the Salaried Medical Officer's Association. "We need to send a message to 
the State Government that the South Australia community demands urgent 
action on public health spending."

The Public Service Association has also weighed in to support the call for 
more health funding. Said General Secretary Jan McMahon: "This is a funding 
crisis of the Government's own making. South Australians deserve proper 
health care that the Government is denying them."

Phil Palmer from the Ambulance Employees Association said ambulance 
officers supported the rally "because hospital cut backs significantly 
effect ambulance workloads" resulting in officers not being able to 
adequately protect patients' lives.

Hospital support staff such as Patient Services Assistants and Orderlies 
would also being giving their support following a decision of the 
Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union. 

"For years now cuts to public health funding have been falling 
disproportionately on hospital support staff", said the union's State 
Secretary, Mark Butler. "Our members have experienced massive increases in 
their workload along with continuing threats to their working conditions 
and job security."

ANF State Branch Secretary, Gail Gago, said nurses are overwhelmed at the 
level of support they are getting, from other health workers and the 
general public.

"With indications of support so far we are sure that the rally will be a 
great success and force the State Government to re-think its priorities and 
allocate urgently needed funds to the public health system", she said.

At Noarlunga Hospital, in Adelaide's south, there is to be a 10 per cent 
reduction in the number of elective surgery cases to be undertaken this 
year, the result of the closure of six beds.

"While six beds doesn't sound like a large number", said the ANF's Rob 
Bonner, "we need to remember that they represent a cut of 10 per cent in 
the 62 medical/surgical beds at the hospital."

Those six beds bring to 78 the number closed across the metropolitan area 
because of government budget cuts. And that number is set to rise, quite 
possibly to 100 in Adelaide alone.

Flinders Medical Centre is still having to consider more closures.