Across the central west and country Australia, doctors are leaving the bush. And they’re not being replaced.
From our smaller communities like Canowindra and Gulgong to our larger regional centers like Wellington, Lithgow and Mudgee, our communities are being left without doctors and those that remain are having to close their books because they can’t cope with the demand.
There is a massive divide in health outcomes between people who live in the cities, and those who call the bush home.
The cold hard truth is that the further away you live from the city, the shorter your life expectancy.
With close to one third of the Australian population living in the regions, how can this be?
The answer is simple. Country people have less access to health services, and GPs are often the first point of contact when someone feels sick, or has a health concern.
Our country residents demand and deserve nothing less than equality in access to doctors and medical services.
This is a disgrace. Enough is Enough.
We call on the Australian Government to immediately fix the rural doctor shortage crisis and deliver more doctors to central western NSW without delay.
www.change.org