“The pandemic has had a lasting impact,” Health Minister Martin Foley said. “And right across Australia,we are seeing more ED[emergency department] presentations,more ambulance callouts – and fewer people seeing their GPs.”
“This budget is providing a massive boost for community-based health,ensuring that services are there for Victorians to catch up on any vital treatments they may have put off during the pandemic.”
Australian Medical Association Victorian vice-president Roderick McRae said the state’s healthcare system was experiencing a crisis. He welcomed the investments but said more detail was needed.
“It’s clear they’ve recognised it as an issue,but we need more detail about how they’ll fix it,” he said.
“It’s not simply more doctors in EDs;it’s proper resourcing of ward beds,capacity and the relevant ancillary services.”
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Dr McRae said he was disappointed there was no additional funding to improve ageing hospitals in Melbourne.
“But you can’t have everything at once and we acknowledge that,” he said.
The government announced the $200 million Metropolitan Health Infrastructure Fund last year to fix ageing health infrastructure.
Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the state’s health system was at a crossroads and,despite record funding,health outcomes were deteriorating.
“This year’s budget shows more people waiting in pain for elective surgery,Victorians missing out on vital dental care and more Victorians waiting for ambulances to arrive,” she said. “The Andrews government continues to fail in providing the health outcomes Victorians deserve.”
Treasurer Tim Pallas,announcing the health spending,said there was still uncertainty about when Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout would be complete,urging speed and an end to bickering between states and the Commonwealth.
He said persistent supply problems made it hard to gauge when mass take-up would occur but the Victorian government did not expect widespread vaccination until at least the end of the year.
“Not that it’s a race,but it’s important we get there as expeditiously as we can,” he said,adding that Victoria had vaccinated more people than NSW,which has a larger population.
“State and federal arguments are ultimately irrelevant in terms of protecting the welfare of the community.”
The budget papers indicate the government plans to further ease public health restrictions. The government said its $1.5 billion investment in fighting COVID-19 would help achieve this.
About $330 million has been spent on phase 1a and 1b of the vaccine rollout,and the Andrews government will invest in a public engagement strategy to advocate vaccines.
The government will also spend $51 million funding 2700 cycles of IVF treatment and the first government-run sperm bank.