Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, is calling on the Queensland Health Minister to provide CQ Radiology with the approval they need to install their PETCT machine to service the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service catchment area.
For over five years, CQ Radiology has held the contract with Queensland Health to administer imaging services at Rockhampton Hospital. As part of their contract to deliver this service, it states that they must provide a PETCT machine at the Rockhampton Hospital and Queensland Health are to provide the infrastructure needed for installation.
It has been revealed that the infrastructure in the form of a lead-lined room is already at Rockhampton Hospital and is currently sitting vacant and locked up. Additional infrastructure, such as lead-lined toilets and waiting rooms, will be provided by CQ Radiology as a gift in kind to the Central Queensland community and Queensland Health. Therefore, there is no cost to the state to provide the region with this critical piece of medical infrastructure and all that is needed is for the Health Minister to give the tick of approval for the PETCT machine to be installed.
Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, stated she is appalled the State Labor Government have been sitting on their hands while health infrastructure is sitting idly waiting for them to action approval.
“It is unfathomable that the Health Minister and her Assistant Minister have had the opportunity to provide the community with a PETCT scanner for over 18 months at no cost to the State.
“Those in the CQHHS catchment have been making unnecessary travel to Bundaberg and Mackay for their PET scans putting additional pressure on those hospitals. What is more concerning, however, is this travel is at a time when patients are at their most vulnerable and it’s unnecessary when the PET scanner is ready and waiting to be installed.
“I was horrified to hear the Assistant Minister for Health stating their priority is for mental health ward. While this is also important, she should also make installing a PET scanner a priority for those battling cancer and having to take 6 hour round trips for a simple scan, particularly when CQ Radiology are ready and willing to provide this service at no cost to Queensland Health.
“Labor needs to get their priorities set when it comes to the health of those in CQ. For far too long, our region has been left by the wayside with ineffective Labor state MPs,” Ms Landry said.
