Sharkie & SA-BEST Join Forces to Fight for Renal Dialysis for Mount Barker

21 Jul 2020

Posted June 04, 2018

Local Federal candidate for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie and SA-BEST MLCs Frank Pangallo and Connie Bonaros will join forces to deliver a much-needed renal dialysis unit at Mount Barker Hospital.

“I delivered on the pledge to install a 24-hour doctor service at the Mount Barker Hospital and I intend to do what I do best, use pressure-point politics, to deliver a much needed renal dialysis unit for this region,” Rebekha said.

“I have already started working on this issue, spending the past 18 months talking to local GPs, health officials, patients and their families and lobbying government.

“The demand is already there and will only grow as the population of the Mount Barker and Nairne district continues to expand.

“The facility could be accommodated in the existing chemotherapy unit."

As hospital services are essentially state-funded, SA-BEST MLCs Frank Pangallo and Connie Bonaros will work with Rebekha to negotiate with the new Liberal Government to ensure the establishment of the unit.

“Dialysis services in the Mount Barker Hospital would save Hills patients hundreds of trips to Adelaide each year and ease the pressure on the major metropolitan hospitals,” Frank said

“Over 12,000 Australians require dialysis to treat chronic kidney disease, and we know that dozens of people in the Hills community would immediately benefit from a dialysis service in Mount Barker.

“Victor Harbor already has a dialysis service and we know that when patients are treated in their own communities the health outcomes are so much better, and are a saving on the health budget.”

On the Federal front, Rebekha is also committed to advocating for Medicare-rebatable MRI services in Mount Barker and Victor Harbor.

“An estimated 20 patients per day travel from the Adelaide Hills alone to the city for MRI services,” Rebekha said.

“They do this because the Federal Government has not granted a Medicare rebate licence for the MRI machine in Mount Barker so patients must pay full costs, and that can be more than $300, and South Coast residents face the same dilemma.

“It’s time the Federal Government provides licences for MRI services both in Mount Barker and in Victor Harbor.”

Click here to find out more about what Rebekha has already achieved for local health services.

Do you support what Rebekha is doing for local health services? Pledge your support here!

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