West coast evacuations increase
Posted
New figures show medical evacuations from Tasmania's west coast have more than doubled since the mining boom took off.
The Flying Doctors Service has flown 65 patients out of Strahan and Queenstown so far this year, compared with only 27 in the first eight months of 2003.
The local population of about 6,000 has not changed in those five years, but at least four major mines have opened.
The West Coast Mayor, Darryl Gerrity, says an ageing population is putting pressure on the system.
"Obviously the closure of (hospital) beds in Rosebery has been a problem," he said.
"We've got limited number of beds in Queenstown, there's a waiting list there of, I believe, about six people, waiting to get in, which is another issue.
"But it seems to appear to me that we need more beds on the west coast, for the elderly, and for acute care," said Mr Gerrity.
