Advertisement

Your views: on a SA Health compo claim, WCH, Riverbank and more

Today, readers comment on SA Health telling a doctor to change his medical opinion, Women’s and Children’s Hospital staffing, park land development, a social worker and artist.

Sep 03, 2021, updated Sep 03, 2021
Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

Commenting on the story: Judge finds SA Health pressured doctor to change opinion on nurse compo

We need to be clear about this: an individual did this or directed this to be done. Make a choice, that this occurred due to the actions of a rogue with inept management or this is a cultural norm.

Either way, this bullying and harassment by an employer of an employee must be called out and those responsible held to account. What will the minister do, as it is not clear if there lays the problem or the solution? – Roger Bouhous

I worked for SA Health for a short few years having previously being employed in the private sector.

Working in the public sector sure was an eye opener in the worst possible way; bullying, nepotism, favouritism, mistruths and more.

I ended up in the WorkCover dept of SA Health and what I experienced there in turn made me debilitatingly ill, having reported the disgraceful behaviour and practices I witnessed to upper management. I’m proud to say I began blowing the whistle.

Was I supported? No. So glad to hear someone has received some justice. – Paula Thomas

Commenting on the story: ‘Massively understaffed’: Frontline doctors speak out about WCH ‘crisis’

Once again the dedicated and overworked staff of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, this time from the besieged Emergency Department, have bravely “trod the grass” to bring to the public’s attention the plight that they find themselves in, with inadequate numbers of treatment spaces and beds and inadequate staffing well below accepted norms interstate.

Their SASMOA representatives and their Medical Staff Society have gone through the correct channels to the executive and the Hospital Board of Management, only to find that they are ignored and in many cases disciplined or covertly penalised for performing their ethical and moral duties on behalf of their patients, in bringing to the public’s attention the dire state of the health service for women and children in this state and in their case specifically within the Paediatric ED services.

The President of the Australian College of Emergency Medicine has confirmed SA to have the worst record in the nation for emergency services for our patients.

The Premier is now repeating the mantra of the Minister of Health in putting forward the same $50 million as proof of their intention not to let the facilities at the WCH go to “wrack and ruin” and is trying to hide behind the WCH Local Health Network and the Board, who are clearly not listening to the concerns of the frontline doctors as they continue in their intent to deny, deny, deny and push the responsibility on to the clinicians for any adverse outcomes that will inevitably occur.

The often quoted $50 million was spent long ago in unnecessary consultancies, along with long overdue refurbishments of ED, SCBU, NICU and Mental Health;  all cosmetic changes with no appreciable investment or improvement in the $12m outstanding obsolete equipment, or in the staffing and resources for children with cancer or with renal disease, to name but a few of the areas requiring urgent attention.

The alleged increase in staffing has clearly not kept pace with service demand, let alone staff training and research. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare latest statistics have shown a cut in SA hospital bed numbers of 262 beds or 1.4% in the last four years, with a decrease in beds from 2.82 beds / 1000 to 2.59 / 1000 in SA. A decrease of 2.1%  in the face of a national increase in beds of 0.7%, sadly reinforcing the ED College’s contention that SA is the worst performing state in the nation.

Trying to make the ED crisis a national issue does nothing for our children and their now long suffering and concerned parents in South Australia. The Government must show the necessary resolve to provide the extra resources and staffing that are required and not try to distract the public with populist sporting arenas etc as we risk a return to October of last year where four neonatal deaths occurred in rapid succession. – Assoc Prof John Svigos 

Commenting on the story: Banking on the River

Thank you Stephanie Johnston for this enlightening and accurate article. – Sally Mitchell

Thanks to Stephanie Johnston for her erudite analysis of the tragedy befalling the Torrens and its surrounds. She explains in plain English what the issues are – plain enough, one hopes, for our State Government to get the message. – Cathy Chua

All the proposals for any development of this (supposed) park lands seem to me to go against the plans and wishes of what Colonel Light first envisaged.

I am sure that there are some other sites for the new WCH, such as the old Le Cornu site in North Adelaide, or even the site of their warehouse and shop on Anzac Highway? Anywhere but right up against the RAH site would at least allow what little green space/parklands to stay.

There would be no need for a huge bridge across the rail lines to a new car park. And why the “need” for a $600 million new stadium for basketball, when we have the already built Findon complex and also the Entertainment Center? What a total waste of money which should be ploughed back into the health system, or spent on the homeless etc.

The Labor mob grossly overspent on construction of the new and undersized RAH and it seems almost nothing has been done with regard to health by the Liberal lot in regard to the new RAH. Now this government wants to waste more money on more riverbank features we do not need or want.

Another thing in regards to health, the new Calvary Hospital in Adelaide was built in far less time than the new RAH, at far less cost too and it seems as big in capacity as the new RAH, but, sadly, neither Labor or the Liberals will talk about this. – Bronte Allan

Commenting on the story: How a Murray Bridge woman found her calling on a drive to Adelaide

The article about Melanie Bassham is beautifully written. A credit to you also Melanie, as it is your story, my empathetic friend. – Jacqui Merckenshlager

Commenting on the story: 2021 Tarnanthi Festival to showcase work by 1000 artists

Kaylene Whiskey’s spirit beams through her eye-popping, heart-warming integrational statement works as well as her smile, and boy can she rock a pair of gold pants like nobody’s business.

There is more to love about this than words can begin to cover. Cannot wait to see more of this genius woman’s art! – Tammy Collyer

Local News Matters
Advertisement
Copyright © 2024 InDaily.
All rights reserved.