Joint statement – Health and Ambulance Services Minister and Mareeba Shire Council Mayor
Health and Ambulance Services Minister Cameron Dick and Mareeba Shire Council Mayor Tom Gilmore met yesterday to discuss the Commonwealth Government’s decision to cut at least $2.1 million in funding from the Mareeba Hospital.
This funding had been in place since 2007, in recognition of the GP shortage in the area requiring many local residents to attend the Mareeba Hospital to access bulk billed primary care.
The Commonwealth delivered funding directly to Mareeba Hospital to offset the cost of GP type services provided to the community from the hospital.
Both Mr Dick and Councillor Gilmore have agreed to work together to ensure the provision of primary healthcare to Mareeba Shire is continued into the future.
They are calling on the Commonwealth to restore this funding and fulfil its responsibility in providing these services to the Mareeba community.
In the interim, Queensland Health is working with partners to ensure bulk-billed GP services to the community can continue.