#25
Post
by urban » Thu May 24, 2007 4:42 pm
If you are going to combine the Queen Liz & RAH then the Clipsal site would have to come into consideration. Extending the tram to service the Entertainment Centre, Hindmarsh Stadium and the hospital would be an easy argument to make.
ABC News Online
Last Update: Thursday, May 24, 2007. 4:22pm (AEST)
A specialist has suggested combining the RAH and the QEH. (ABC TV)
SA Govt urged to combine RAH and QEH
The South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, has refused to be drawn on reports of a planned $1.5 billion relocation of the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).
There are suggestions it could move from the eastern end of North Terrace in the city to the western end, near the Morphett Street bridge.
A medical specialist has urged the Government to combine the RAH with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), at Woodville in the western suburbs.
The state Treasurer's office will not comment on any speculation relating to the next month's state budget and Mr Rann also refuses to confirm or deny that there is a plan.
"Go back to last year's pre-budget period and the year before's pre-budget period and the year before's pre-budget period and I gave exactly the same answer to speculation that was true and to speculation that was wrong," he said.
A former South Australian president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Dr Chris Cain, says any Government investment of that size would be welcome.
"I'll just be grateful that the government is prepared to invest this sort of money in the health system, but would just ask that they engage the profession completely in the process and making sure that things work as they should be, and we address the needs of the community," he said.
The AMA is worried that other parts of the health sector could be starved of funding.
Current president, Dr Peter Ford, says the health department won't give any confirmation of a plan.
He says the RAH is lagging in technology and is limited by its current site.
But Dr Ford is worried for the rest of the health sector.
"This is a sort of infrastructure capital spending project if you like ... and the running of the system at the moment is quite deficient. I mean, we have all sorts of staffing issues and equipment issues, I-T issues," he said.
"Certainly the [Royal] Adelaide Hospital is not the only area in need of money, so we wouldn't like to see some pie in the sky vision and then nothing done to support and improve what we already have."
South Australia's Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith is demanding that the Government reveal its plans.
"Whether the best way to spend $1.5 billion is to build a brand spanking new building is a question the Government needs to justify so that's why they need to give us the facts," he said.
"It's probably the worst kept secret in Adelaide. The Treasurer Kevin Foley has clearly lost control of his budget processes here."
Mr Hamilton-Smith says $1.5 billion could wipe out hospital waiting lists for more than a decade.
Another former AMA president, Dr Rod Pierce, says the current hospital is severely limited.
"We've known for years the difficulty in expanding some of the areas and putting the services we need at the Royal Adelaide, and it's got limited space, it's got parklands on one side and the University [of Adelaide] on the other," he said.
Medical specialist Professor Guy Maddern is keen for any re-location of the RAH to incorporate the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
"Perhaps call it the Queen Adelaide Hospital and really try and define a health service that's going to be modern and appropriate for South Australia," he said.