A lady died after nine hours of waiting for a bed at Launceston General Hospital.
The lady, in her 70s, was carried to hospital by ambulance on Friday night but died at 9 a.m. Saturday after being assessed at the emergency department, according to the union that represents Tasmanian paramedics.
According to Health and Community Services Union industrial manager Robbie Moore, she could not obtain proper treatment in a difficult circumstance for the patient, her family, and paramedics.
‘I don’t believe any Tasmanian would be pleased to learn that a person, an elderly Tasmanian, is unable to get a hospital bed when they need one,’ Mr Moore told AAP.
‘It’s realistic to think that we’d be able to access our health-care system.’ The government should be embarrassed of the position they have allowed to develop.’
The Tasmanian Health Department confirmed to the ABC that a formal investigation into the woman’s death was ongoing.
AAP has reached out to the department for comment.
The Tasmanian Greens claimed the woman’s death demonstrated the severe strain on the state’s facilities.
Tasmanians’ lives rely on the Liberals acting,’ said the party’s health spokesman Rosalie Woodruff in a statement.
Mr Moore said that ambulance ramping is a continuing problem for the island state, with Tasmanians not getting proper treatment and paramedics unable to attend to critical tasks due to hospitalization.
He believes the state government should provide additional hospital beds right now.
‘In the long run, they’re supposed to be discussing salaries and conditions with all of their employees,’ Mr Moore said.
‘We need them to pay competitive salaries with the mainland to guarantee that we have enough workers to offer Tasmanians with the health services they need.’
Meanwhile, the Tasmanian section of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is striking over wages and conditions on Wednesday.
Premier and Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff offered the union a compromise last week in an attempt to end the strike, but union members opted to prolong the action.
‘While the offer does give constructive measures for the medium to long term, members’ major worry is that it does not provide quick practical remedies,’ said the federation’s Tasmanian secretary Emily Shepherd.