It is “inappropriate” for people in rural and remote Tasmania to be “denied basic primary and preventative care”, Royal Flying Doctor Service chief executive John Kirwan says.
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“We have a universal health system – we should be getting the same health services, whether you’re in the North Shore of Sydney or whether you happen to be on the North-East or North-West Coast of Tasmania,” he said.
TasCOSS released a statement of 10 key priorities on Thursday ahead of the state election, which covered health, cost of living, education, housing, employment, families and children, community sector, transport, pokie-free communities, and resilient communities.
Included in the suggestions was a preventative health funding increase to the equivalent of 5 per cent of the health budget by 2020.
Chief executive Kym Goodes said a coordinator-general should be established to oversee the potential projects. She said there needed to be an initial investment of $25 million a year for the next 10 years.
Ms Goodes used the Riverside health precinct as an example of community-focused infrastructure that benefited a community.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the Liberals would put more resources into preventative health if re-elected.
Opposition health spokeswoman Rebecca White said Labor had committed $5 million a year for a “healthy communities commission” to be focused “solely on driving preventative health initiatives” and was committed to a “health in all policies” approach.
