By Matthew Sims
Maribyrnong council has advocated for more funding for Medicare to allow for continued universal public access to the healthcare system among the rising cost of living.
At its meeting on Tuesday, May 17, councillor Jorge Jorquera moved a notice a motion to:
* Acknowledge that many Maribyrnong residents with lower incomes and larger families require appropriate access to bulk-billing medical services;
* Support the campaigns of both the Australian Medical Association [AMA] and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners [RACGP] to demand increased Medicare funding; and
* Write to the federal government and the opposition to urge them to commit to increased Medicare funding.
He said the motion came about as a result of discussions with a number of local health professionals.
“Certainly, in our aged community, it’s becoming a growing issue, among pensioners in particular,” Cr Jorquera said.
He said in some instances, there is a single doctor providing services for more than 6000 patients and earning 40 per cent of what they could be earning in a non bulk billing clinic.
Cr Jorquera said it was essential for council to support the AMA and the RACGP in their efforts.
“I think what’s important about it is, an advocacy voice is all the louder when you’re adding to existing voices,” he said.
Councillor Bernadette Thomas said Medicare was an essential part of the healthcare system.
“This is vitally important to not just an individual’s healthcare but an entire family’s healthcare and an entire community’s,” she said.
Councillor Michael Clarke spoke for the motion and said that demand is surpassing supply at the moment, especially in the mental healthcare system.
“Beyond the demand, to make it more difficult again because it’s financially not accessible, that’s untenable in a first world country,” he said.
Maribyrnong mayor Anthony Tran supported the motion and said putting further pressure on the healthcare system among ongoing increases in the cost of living and other financial conditions was a “concoction for disaster”.
