AUSTRALIAN STATE FAILS TO COPE WITH HEALTH NEEDS: BLAMES AGING

And aging is the one problem that was totally predictable -- a problem that should therefore have been easily planned for by our bureaucratic geniuses

"When doctors at St George Hospital switched off Isaac Messiha's life support last Thursday night, it highlighted a much larger issue than the end of one man's life. Welcome to the medical dilemma of the future: in an age of technological breakthrough but seriously limited resources, who will receive help? And who won't? Messiha, 75, suffered a heart attack on October 17 and his family claimed the hospital flicked the switch to free up a bed in intensive care. The hospital denies this. But, hard-hearted or hard-headed, sadly it is a pointer to the future.

Few would argue that the health system is buckling under the strain of coping. Most experts say the onset of the ageing population is to blame. NSW Nurses Association general secretary Brett Holmes told The Sun-Herald: "We are running our health system at 100 per cent occupancy. We have an insufficient bed capacity to deal with the increasing demand." It is no secret that people are living longer and, consequently, requiring more medical care. Everyone predicted the greying population would create a demographic time bomb. What went wrong was that no one correctly estimated when it would explode.

NSW Health Minister Morris lemma admitted to The Sun-Herald that the Government, like many others around the world, had fallen behind the eight ball. And although he plans to "ramp up" the nursing workforce in the next year, the results from his initiatives will not be seen for another two or three years. He hopes to double the number of TAFE places available for enrolled nurses next year and attract more overseas-trained nurses from the US, Canada, Britain, Ireland, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Scandinavia and possibly India. He is also trying to tempt nurses who have left the profession back into the workforce. Since 2002,1140 have returned but many are only casual or part-time.

NSW hospitals need about 12,000 extra nurses by 2014 but lemma's main problem is luring workers into a system which appears to be cracking underthe pressure. The workload for nurses has never been greater and it seems each week hospital emergency departments are placed on code red because they are unable to take any more patients. To ensure more beds are available in emergency wards, major public hospitals such as the Prince of Wales, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, are developing programs to "fast track" elderly patients.

When these patients present themselves, they will bypass the normal route and be cared for by a specialist team. About 33 per cent of patients treated in emergency departments are aged over 70. They represent a very special case: often, their first appearance will be the precursor to many more. Sometimes, because of their home circumstances, there is nowhere else for them to go. It is yet to be seen whether the minister's initiatives will alleviate some of the stress. He gets full marks for trying. But is it too little too late?"


The above is an excerpt from an editorial that appeared in the Sydney (Australia) "Sun-Herald" on November 14, 2004

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation.

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