Greens MP Michael Berkman has called on the Queensland Government to nationalise all private Queensland hospitals at the conclusion of the $1.3 billion Federal Government viability agreement.
“Queensland private hospitals receive billions of dollars in public money every year. They rely on Medicare rebates, private insurance subsidies, and skilled doctors and nurses who are trained at public universities and public hospitals.”
“It’s time we used the billions in public subsidies for the common good, not the profit margins of multinational private corporations like Ramsay Health, which last year made $1 billion in profit.”
“At the end of this crisis hundreds of thousands of people will need urgent elective surgery and other treatments. The Queensland Government shouldn’t be handing one third of our hospital capacity back to private corporations just when Queenslanders need it the most”
“Bringing private hospitals into public hands will create a world class public health system where everyone can get the treatment they need, when they need it, rather than relying on a two tier system that funnels public money into profits for multinational corporations like Ramsay Health.”
Mr Berkman said the nationalisation would be funded by cost savings and by making big mining, developer and banking corporations pay their fair share.
“By nationalising private hospitals the Queensland Government would save millions of dollars as a result of no longer having to purchase extra capacity from private hospitals every year.”
“Over the last five years alone, massive mining and gas corporations have exported over $270 billion worth of coal, gas and minerals from Queensland and paid just 7% in royalties. It’s entirely reasonable that a fraction of that wealth is used to ensure Queenslanders get the healthcare they need.”
More detail is online here https://greens.org.au/qld/hospitals