Tasmania’s Ouse District Hospital under threat
Health Consumers of Rural and Remote Australia’s Tasmanian representative, Vianne Brain, from Ouse in Tasmania’s central highlands is at odds with the policies of the Tasmanian government and its decision to downgrade Ouse District Hospital.
“This is very difficult to comprehend,” Ms Brain said as she contemplated the future of the hospital in Ouse. “In this isolated area, the Ouse District Hospital provides a first point of care for people who are ill, injured, or simply waiting placement to Ouse Nursing Home and for palliative care.
“This hospital provides care for people who have lived in the Ouse area for all of their lives – not to mention for travelers who underestimate the danger of the road conditions in the area,” Ms Brain pointed out. “In the Minister’s own words, there is an ageing population and a high level of chronic disease. Ouse and surrounds is evidence of just those health conditions. The 4 sub-acute beds at Ouse provide an invaluable service for people during periods of non-critical acute illness, exacerbation of chronic illness, rehabilitation after some traumatic episode and the staff at the hospital are very skilled in palliative care,” Ms Brain emphasised.
“People have the right to choose whether they wish to die in their own community and, unlike the Minister, our community will rally in support of our oldies,” Ms Brain said.
Since the inception of funded residential aged care at Ouse in the mid 1990s it has consistently been the most popular service offered there. There have been very few occasions when a bed has been empty, as people from all over the municipality take the opportunity to remain in their own community for the rest of their lives.
“Ouse enjoys an excellent reputation in aged care – this has been constantly acknowledged.
“Unlike many small rural towns, Ouse has a permanent GP. The GP provides daytime clinics and emergency care. When GPs are so scarce, why now jeopardise this good outcome for Central Highlands by placing the future of the hospital in doubt?” Ms Brain said.
“A solid future for rural health care is vital. It will help keep the population in rural areas, enabling them to be in charge of their health care decisions. Keep small rural hospitals functioning.”
