Former patients join rally against doctor contracts in Cairns #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
THEY saved his life and now former engineer Stewart Howard is fighting for doctors to receive a fair go.
The Bentley Park grandfather underwent major surgery in 2012 to receive a double lung transplant.
He believes that the fiery stand-off between doctors and the State Government over individual work agreements will adversely affect patients if the threat of a mass walk-out occurs.
“Without receiving this life-saving surgery, I would have died,’’ he said.
“I feel forever indebted to those people.
“The physicians are the ones who keep you alive.”
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s plan to import doctors from overseas or interstate to replace staff who resign was unlikely to fill the void, Mr Howard said.
“The capacity will be diminished and they will lose that skill base.
“You can’t buy those skills.
“If something were to go wrong – and it will do – it means the people who we rely on may not be there.
“Any (staff) reduction would result in fewer patients being treated, denying many people the very high quality of life that I currently enjoy.”
It’s a fear held by many former hospital patients.
Jeremy Evans, whose wife Amy also underwent a double lung transplant six years ago, said that doctors were “not in the wrong”.
“The last thing we want is for the doctors to resign,” Mr Evans said.
“But I don’t blame them for what they are having to do.
“It’s a bad outcome for the government, the doctors and the patients.”
While his wife continues to have underlying health issues following the diagnosis of a rare disease, the family hopes the dispute will be resolved quickly.
“We just think how tragic and terrible it will be (if specialists resign).
“You really need those specialists. “The risks are just far too great – it’s just madness.”
Mooroobool stroke victim and cardiac patient David Kalman says the local health system “will only get worse” if doctors followed their threat to walk away from public health.
“The whole system is hopeless,’’ the 75-year-old said.
“There is a lot of things that need to be changed.
“Obviously there needs to be more staff.”
Mr Howard is convinced the negative impacts would be felt months and years into the future.
“Should the proposed health reforms take effect, in many cases current and future patients would be condemned to an early and unnecessary death,’’ he said.
“I have my new lungs and for that I will be forever grateful. However, there are people that will miss out on such privilege should the proposed changes take place.”
Doctors and nurses have converged outside Cairns Hospital today at 7.30am to protest the contracts.