Shadow Health Minister Jillian Skinner has accused the Iemma Labor Government of playing Russian Roulette with the life of Per-Olav Peltonen who has been waiting nine months for treatment for a nine-centimetre aneurism, which could rupture and kill him at any moment.
“Mr Peltonen has been sent two letters asking if he still wants surgery to deal with the huge aneurism when the government knows it doesn’t even have the equipment to do his needed surgery,” Mrs Skinner said.
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“Instead of treating him with such contempt, the government should have rushed to ensure resources were available at Royal North Shore Hospital so that he and other patients could be treated.
“And if that wasn’t possible they should have immediately negotiated with the co-located private hospital to use their equipment for the life-saving surgery.
“Instead of doing this Mr Peltonen was sent a letter in November 2005 advising him that he would have to wait three to four months for his surgery.
“After this four month waiting period expired, none of Mr Peltonen’s regular calls to the hospital to request when he might expect to have surgery were returned. And only yesterday he received another letter asking if he still wants to be treated or he will be removed from the waiting list.
“Medical experts have told me that delaying this surgery is incredibly risky. That a nine-centimetre aneurism is a ticking time bomb.
“There have been previous revelations that doctors had to cancel surgery at Royal North Shore hospital because there was no money to fix vital equipment.
“And I have also been advised that doctors in the Riverina have been told they cannot operate on patients with aneurisms because there is no money.
“Doctors at Wagga Wagga Hospital for instance have been advised that they need to cut the budget by 11 per cent – which amounts to more than $7 million.
“When is the Labor Government going to accept its responsibility to provide hospital treatment for conditions which are putting lives at risk,” Mrs Skinner said.
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