Australian region’s lack of MRI services leads local politicians to demand change
In the Blue Mountains region of southeastern Australia a lack of MRI services are hampering patient care, the Blue Mountain Gazette reported—and local politicians are calling for action.
Patients in the area are facing delays in care and missing out on diagnosis all together because there is no MRI machine in the area. Some residents have traveled to Nepean Hospital in western Sydney for care, but many are forced to schedule appointments at 5 a.m. or even 10 p.m. because of backlogs at the hospital, the Gazette reported.
Local politicians, including Susan Templeman, are now joining doctors and nurses in the underserved region in calling on state and local governments to provide affordable imaging services. Although the government announced $2 billion for diagnostic imaging over the next decade, federal authorities remain noncommittal about improving services in the Blue Mountains.
“Sadly this government has an ideological fixation with cutting services,” Templeman said in the report. “And when you cut services, that impacts not only the health of workers but also the quality and level of care provided to patients by overworked, tired staff.”
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Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.