hospitals and hoo haa

I can't help but think of the No Hoo Haa Party started by Adelaide businessman, Mr. Albert Bensimon some years ago when I look at the posturing of the major parties over the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

It strikes me more about dangling trinkets before the voters of this state than it does about a rational response to a very important subject(Have you seen those u beaut videos?)

Let's face it, we would all love a new or rebuilt-to-new major hospital in Adelaide regardless of where our government wants to put it. I'd like a new family car, too. but, you know, if my wife and I can't afford it we still need transport for the family so any reasonable (and more affordable) option will do right now.

Yes, the people of South Australia deserve the very best of medical care and state-of-the-art facilities can, indeed, provide that. But if the numbers of beds aren't there and there aren't enough nurses and with doctors in the public system on voting with their feet it doesn't really amount to much, does it?

Let's just take a deep breath and count to ten. Now is not the time to be focussing on the buildings as much as it is about increasing bed numbers and services. Sure, build a new oncology wing if it's needed but let's make sure that the need(s) are genuine and the solution, long term. The State Election will be over after the 20th of March 2010 and so will the Hoo Haa - but the need, present and future, may still remain unresolved.