When Kon Vatskalis was made the latest Minister for Health he said he would be an “interventionist” honcho implying he would have his finger on the pulse of the Health Department . This brave statement sounded and looked good in print and on TV .
The previous Health Minister, Dr Chris Burns, you will recall, had somehow not been informed of the nurse shortage and other unsatisfactory situations at Royal Darwin Hospital, which gave the impression that it was a mushroom incubator where the minister was given the Yes Minister treatment. Recently, the NT News revealed the extraordinary long colonoscopy and endoscopy waiting lists , up to 900 people. Our interventionist Health Minister was quoted as saying he did not like first knowing about this unsatisfactory situation by reading about it in the paper.
Then , like a an exploding carbuncle, came a statistics studded spin doctor media release which implied there was frantic activity on this front , but still unable to quell the feeling that the situation is chaotic , people with possible life threatening conditions forced to wait excessively long times for internal examinations and a diagnosis.
Now another major concern has surfaced regarding gynaecological cancer sufferers. The Royal Darwin Hospital has told highly respected visiting Adelaide gynaecological oncologist , Professor Margaret Davy, AM ,her services are no longer required. Professor Davy has been caring for women in the NT with either definite or suspected gynaecological cancer since l989.
In a letter to her patients , Dr Davy wrote : “ After 20 years, the Royal Darwin Hospital administration has written to me , informing me that my services are no longer required .This came out of the blue . I was last in Darwin 18-22 May 2009, seeing patients in the hospital , but no one bothered to discuss this with me personally.”
Her work here meant that many women did not have to go south for treatment. She spent considerable time in indigenous communities and detected clusters of a certain type of cancer . Through her work with indigenous women they trusted her and came to clinics. Now , she is to be replaced by two male doctors on a rotation basis from Queensland who will not carry out field work like Professor Davy. Aboriginal women will not go to a male doctor for gynaecolocial examinations.
Little Darwin presumes that nobody at RDH told the Health Minister or his advisors about this unsatisfactory decision or else alarm bells would have started ringing . However, outraged patients contacted the Health Minister ; his office staff asked them and their relatives to send in emails or letters outlining their concerns. In turn, these respondents received a brief acknowledgment on behalf of the minister from ministerial assistant , Tara Alexander. Surely the letter from Professor Davy should have been enough to galvanise the minister into action like the gun toting interventionist he claims to be ?
Information reaching Little Darwin is that Vatskalis has spoken to RDH and was told Professor Davy did not have a contract. Amazingly – after 20 years -Professor Davy was told that she was too expensive. (Little Darwin understands the good doctor's charges were exceptionably reasonable .) This sounds like a legal excuse to try and justify an unthinking action .
In the Legislative Assembly , while the government was fielding a round of Dorothy Dixers from its side, the Member for MacDonnell , Alison Anderson , rose and attracted close attention from the government (what other bombshell could she be about to let fly?) . She asked Minister Vaskalis why Professor Davy had been given the flick without a word of thanks from the RDH . In a short , mainly inaudible reply, he said Professor Davy was not on a contract , that tenders would be called for all kinds of services at the hospital and she would be able to apply . He also said he would like to say thank you to Davy for her services. This drew an angry comment from a female member of the Opposition ," A bit bloody late!" Deputy leader Delia Lawrie was heard say this was unparliamentary language . With respect, it is mild to what has and is being said about the RDH administration and the Minister over this issue. This important story probably did not register with the media as they were still seen giggling over the Wiggles.
Professor Davy will be available until Xmas and this week , at the request of RDH , went to Raminginning to carry out work her replacements won’t be doing . The Minister has a lot more explaining to do about the appalling treatment of Professor Davy who is regarded almost as a saint by many Territory residents.
An interesting piece of intelligence offered Little Darwin by an interstate informant who has his ear close to the ground in corridors of power is that an aggressive organisation which offers medical services to various health departments may already be lined up to take over the outstanding work that has been done for two decades in the Territory by Professor Davy . Rest assured, we will keep you informed .
