Your views: on the state of public health, and more
Today, readers comment on a system in crisis, reopening and emissions policy.
Commenting on the story: Family’s plea after elderly man dies following lengthy ambulance wait
In regard to the case of the ambulance delay for Mr Skeffington, it is not as if getting an ambulance in a more timely manner is the end of the story.
My mother did get an ambulance to hospital last year for the same condition: a bowel obstruction. After an ambulance ramp wait, she was seen and sent home with presumed gastro. When she came back a couple of days later she was now in such a state that she was admitted and then endured an emergency bowel operation. Next she was sent home too early and had to be admitted again a day or two later.
People are discharged with indecent haste from our hospitals with consequences which are not only inefficient – going through the system three times instead of once is a cost for the hospital – but can be catastrophic long-term, even for those who survive. My mother is in permanent care now and I have no doubt that this severely and unnecessarily debilitating experience of the hospital system had much to do with it. The cost for her and society at large is enormous compared with the likely good outcome of being admitted in the first place.
This is the fault not of the long-suffering hospital staff, but of governments who think that their investments should be in sporting stadiums and road widening at the expense of such vital infrastructure as our health system. They continue to ignore the experiences of those in the community and the desperate calls from nurses, from doctors, from ambulance drivers.
How can it be, in a democracy, that we are all on the same page except the government? It beggars belief. Management speak is used by the government as a substitute for meaningful action. We all know that what little money they do put into the system does not go where it should. Indeed, InDaily has been exemplary in giving a voice to staff across the board in our health services which has kept all of us informed, except, apparently, the government. Perhaps you should let them know it is free to read.
At the next election I will be hoping to get the opportunity to vote for a party which favours health and other critical quality of life indicators, ahead of promises of bigger circuses and more bread. – Cathy Chua
Commenting on the story: SA’s ‘COVID-Ready’ roadmap to be revealed ‘within days’
I’m keen for them to announce a whole lot of restrictions for those who are not vaccinated. I think that’s the best way to encourage the vaccine hesitant to be vaccinated, there’s no point in even trying to persuade the anti-vaxxers. – Rosemary Budenberg
Commenting on the opinion piece: Looking behind News Corp’s climate conversion
Thanks for Gabi Mocatta’s great summary of News Corps’ current mix of new and old climate messaging (dubbed ‘missionzero2050′).
In principle support for a carbon price has been removed. There’s also a strong emphasis on nuclear power even though it has been well and truly outpaced by the increased affordability of renewables (which still has some way to go). That’s ironic because a carbon price would in theory boost nuclear in a race against fossil fuels – but not against wind and solar with storage.
Bolstering false hopes plus a long-range target without a real plan (where the PM seems to be heading) and a scatter-gun blast of ‘ideas’ is more confusing than meaningful and realistic.
A more purposeful campaign would include interim benchmarks (like a 60% emissions cut by 2030) and a legislated framework and path forward; features of the Federal Climate Bill introduced by Independent MP Zali Steggall.
The Bill languishes for lack of government support and, as far as I can see, is not one of the solutions News Corp is backing in the last days before the Glasgow climate summit. – Jim Allen