Lang Lang Community Medical Centre practice manager Peter Thompson says a new doctor is desperately needed to keep up with demand for medical services. By Paul Dunlop
A BID to get a new doctor at Lang Lang has been knocked back because the town is not considered rural.
Despite its small population and a huge demand for increased services, Lang Lang’s medical centre has been told it is ineligible for extra resources and incentives offered to country practices.
The ruling has come about because Lang Lang is part of Cardinia Shire, considered metropolitan under the Federal Government’s health classification scheme.
But Lang Lang Community Medical Centre management is fighting to have the decision overturned, saying commonsense must prevail.
LLCMC practice manager Peter Thompson said the clinic, which opened last October after a major community fundraising effort, was under enormous pressure to keep up with demand for its services.
Mr Thompson said the onedoctor clinic saw up to 300 patients a week from around the mainly rural area and could see many more.
“The clinic has been unable to take new patients since March as we have been inundated with people requiring medical services locally,” Mr Thompson said.
“We are not a metropolitan area by means of population, services or resources and we desperately need the services of another doctor.”
Flinders MP Greg Hunt has also lent his support, urging Health and Ageing Minister Tony Abbott to use discretionary powers to allow another doctor to be employed.
The medical centre has been seeking to employ a New Zealandtrained doctor, Maria Sullivan.
This is not allowed under the current classification scheme, but Mr Hunt is hopeful that the minister will use his discretion.
Mr Hunt told the Gazette he had written to Mr Abbott in the hope that he will step in.
In his letter to Mr Abbott, Mr Hunt said the government’s principles of helping and encouraging people were being violated in this case.
“Lang Lang is not asking for money or for the allocation of somebody else’s resources,” Mr Hunt said.
“Rather, the town seeks only the right to employ a foreigntrained doctor who could not otherwise work.”
Mr Hunt’s letter to Mr Abbott emphasised Lang Lang was a small town that was generally underserviced.
Mr Thompson said Dr Natasha Aylen, the only doctor of the clinic, worked up to 12 hours a day seeing patients and then had to do paperwork and perform other tasks on top of that.
“All emergencies are seen at the clinic whether patients of ours or not, placing further demands on our doctor,” he said.
“The situation must be addressed as a matter of urgency for the sake of the population of Lang Lang and surrounding districts.”
Doctor William ‘Orrie’ Stewart, who has been practising in the town for almost 30 years, said he strongly supported any move to have the town reclassified by the Federal Government.
“They insist on classifying Lang Lang metropolitan and that’s ridiculous,” he said.
Mr Hunt said there was an urgent need for more medical practitioners in Lang Lang, and a potential solution at hand. He said he was hopeful the situation could be resolved.
