New hospital an expensive way to fix bacteria problem

Nowhere else in the world would a government knock over a hospital to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria says Save the RAH Group Chair James Katsaros.

“It is outrageous that this government expects us to believe a new hospital will somehow fix a problem that faces private and public hospitals around the world.”

Dr Katsaros says that the claim that the proposed private rooms at the railway hospital will help is also a furphy.

“And it doesn’t help when some media and government spokespeople use alarmist words and are allowed to make outrageous statements which go unchallenged.”

He says that in February the Minister’s office told the Save the RAH Group the new hospital would have 60% single beds … not “almost 100%” as reported this week.

“Right now the RAH has 30% single rooms – approximately 215 rooms - and there is no reason that the 10 or 12 infected patients who are currently infected couldn’t be accommodated in these rooms.

“If that will fix the problem – as the Minister suggests – why aren’t they?”

Dr Katsaros says that in 2005/2006 the current state government stopped the RAH Ward Rebuilding Program.

“If that had been started on schedule, we would already have 60% single rooms at the RAH now – single rooms with private bathrooms.”