We welcome the Australian Government's $120 million commitment to the Northern Heart Centre at the Launceston General Hospital
It is an understatement to say that the AMA and its membership are overjoyed and relieved by the Prime Minister's announcement today.
After a period of uncertainty, the confirmation that this vital project will finally move forward with Federal government support is a significant relief for our doctors and patients in the north and northwest of Tasmania.
AMA Tasmania has consistently stressed the urgent need for a Northern Heart Centre, given the alarmingly high rates of cardiovascular disease in Tasmania, to ensure equity of access to patients in the north and northwest of Tasmania.
While the Health Minister reassured us that conversations with the Commonwealth were progressing, we were devastated to see that the Heart Centre was contingent on federal funding in the recent state budget; hence, our relief today to know this project will become a reality.
This promise marks a crucial turning point, as we know this facility will significantly enhance health outcomes for Tasmanians in the region.
We are grateful that both levels of government are working together to secure this vital service. We know our doctors and their patients are ecstatic to see this life-saving service become a reality.
This announcement means we can now start recruiting cardiologists, junior doctors, nurses, allied health staff, and cardiac sonographers, essential for the heart centre multidisciplinary team. We can now build the essential infrastructure and purchase the medical equipment required to run this service.
We look forward to seeing the centre finished with the fast-tracking of life-saving heart treatments, expanded coronary care, and the provision of cutting-edge cardiac diagnostics and procedures. It will undoubtedly make a profound difference in the lives of thousands of patients being treated for cardiac disease in the north of the state.>>ENDS
