It’s not good enough! Rural residents and travellers are being put at risk through gross negligence at
the hands of the State Government’s health system, according to Member for Frome Geoff Brock
MP.

Mr Brock has spoken out about the disastrous decisions which allowed the Balaklava Hospital to
remain without a doctor during the Easter holiday break – a time when there are more travellers and
more accidents on our roads, as well as other emergencies.

“The Balaklava Hospital was left without an available doctor for two days over the Easter break –
Good Friday and Easter Saturday,” Mr Brock said.

“The most senior member of staff was a second-year registered nurse, and it is an unthinkable burden
on this health department employee who had to run the emergency department of the hospital on
their own without any back up from a doctor.”

Mr Brock is disappointed and concerned that a regional hospital could have been left so badly
understaffed and that those seeking medical aid would be put at risk.

“I have no doubt at all that the registered nurse would have done his or her best in the situation, but
it is untenable to put such a burden on this staff member. I don’t know what our government is
thinking.

“It’s completely unacceptable.”

Mr Brock said he was not made aware of the possibility of the hospital being without a doctor during
Easter, particularly at a time when there is always a lot of traffic on the roads.

“I realise that both country and city hospitals have been overwhelmed and continue to be stretched
to their limits, but what is most concerning is this government’s inability to manage a failing health
service while it puts South Australian lives at risk on a daily basis.”

Mr Brock said that despite concerns being raised to the Minister for Health about the deteriorating
medical service nothing has been done to fix the ailing system.

“We have a declining workforce in the health sector, staff burnout, a crisis in our aged care systems,
nurses working double shifts and under resourced – something needs to be done – it’s not good
enough.”