ABORIGINAL patients who sought life-saving treatment in Perth including dialysis and chemotherapy have died from inadequate support, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.
THE patients were part of the state government’s Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS), which helps people who must travel long distances for specialist health care to pay for their accommodation and transport.
Nyoongar Patrol Outreach Service chief executive Maria McAtackney said while PATS provided essential help for regional people, some were falling through the cracks because of the lack of support they received once they arrived in Perth. Ms McAtackney said the $60 a night patients received for accommodation was not enough to find a safe place to stay. Hostels that are available for PATS patients like Jewel House have strict drinking policies and patients with substance abuse problems get evicted and end up homeless, she said. Ms McAtackney said there was no system in place to assist transient patients back to hospital and those sleeping rough often stopped treatment and didn’t return to their community. At least 40 Aboriginal patients a year were experiencing this situation, she said. “They’re squatting in vacant buildings – they’re not going for their dialysis,” Ms McAtackney told the inquiry on Monday. “We’ve even had deaths in the park as a result of people who have been evicted from their accommodation.” Ms McAtackney said transport was a major issue for patients in Perth because they did not know how the system worked and the transport allowance often did not cover the full cost of journeys. She said patients also lacked emotional support because they were disconnected from their land and travelled alone. In cases where patients travel with a carer, it’s usually a family member who is battling with their own issues and ends up abandoning the patient. The inquiry will deliver its findings this year.