Andrew Gee MP has launched a Change.org petition to “End the Rural Doctor Shortage Crisis.”
In rural Australia, doctors are leaving and not being replaced. Nearly one-third of the Australian population lives in these areas, and communities like Canowindra, Gulgong, Wellington, Lithgow, and Mudgee are left without doctors and those that remain are having to close their books because they can’t cope with the demand.
This leads to significant disparities, with residents in rural areas having a shorter life expectancy than those in urban areas.
Andrew urges the Australian Government to address the rural doctor shortage crisis immediately.
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.
We call on the Australian Government to immediately fix the rural doctor shortage crisis and deliver more doctors to central western NSW without delay. You can sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/end-the-rural-doctor-shortage-crisis
Authorised by A. Gee Orange NSW