Media Release: Travel support welcome, but care must come to communities

The following quotes can be attributed to the President of the Australian Medical Association in South Australia (AMA SA) Associate Professor Peter Subramaniam:

As part of its state election platform, AMA SA has consistently called for better support for regional patients, and this announcement from the Malinauskas Government is exactly the type of practical policy we expect from parties competing for government.

Increased travel assistance will provide meaningful relief for many regional patients and their families who face significant financial and logistical burdens when accessing essential healthcare.

Improving travel assistance must sit alongside a broader strategy to strengthen specialist care in in country areas, allowing patients to access care closer to where they live.

AMA SA is calling on all sides of politics to incentivise specialists to work in regional areas and to invest in the infrastructure and workforce needed to expand capacity in regional health hubs.

These proposals would ensure specialists can maintain a regular presence in regional communities, enabling patients to attend new consultations, have their ongoing health reviewed and investigated locally and receive follow up care after surgery or other treatments undertaken in Adelaide.

Adopting these policies would not only improve equity of access for regional patients but also deliver clear flow on benefits for Adelaide’s major hospitals, including reducing pressure on emergency departments and alleviating ramping.

For interview requests please contact media manager Ben Terry on 0478 847 604.