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Victoria’s Auditor-General has highlighted the poor health of farming families in a new report tabled in State Parliament yesterday.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said the Sustainable Farm Families Program report showed urgent government action was needed to improve rural health services.
“Drought and water scarcity are affecting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of farming families,” Mr Walsh said.
“Rural Victorians have higher rates of mortality, disease and health risk factors than their city counterparts and much poorer access to primary healthcare services.
“The Auditor-General has pointed out that farming families experience higher rates of illness, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness.
“The report also states that in some areas the suicide rate among farm workers is more than double that of the rest of the population.”
Mr Walsh said John Brumby had turned his back on rural health, leaving healthcare facilities in regional Victoria to fall by the wayside.
“Healthcare infrastructure across rural Victoria is crumbling because of John Brumby and Labor’s mismanagement. As a result, regional hospitals are struggling to recruit and retain staff,” Mr Walsh said.
“In a number of regional areas the population to GP ratio is more than double that of Melbourne while over a third of country doctors say they will not be in country Victoria in five years’ time.
“The Rural Doctors Association of Victoria has also warned of a major crisis in rural Victoria with labour shortages affecting all rural hospitals.
“The culture of self-reliance which causes fewer farming families to seek medical assistance is often born out of necessity because services are often not available.
“Until John Brumby addresses rural Victoria’s ageing health infrastructure, service delivery and patient care will continue to be compromised,” Mr Walsh said.