The Queensland Party Candidate for Cairns D.J.Hunt has called for the second Cairns hospital to be fast tracked after Cyclone Yasi demonstrated the urgent need for an alternate facility to the Cairns Base Hospital.
Mr Hunt said "The recent evacuation of patients from the Cairns Base hospital demonstrated how well plans for evacuations in our area can be mobilized when given time. The other thing it highlighted was the urgent need we have for a second hospital in our area in case that time is not available or the hospital is destroyed by a disaster.”
Mr Hunt’s comments came after the patients from the Cairns Base Hospital had to be airlifted to Brisbane as a precaution when the predicted cyclone and associated storm surge approached Cairns.
“The Cairns Base Hospital due to its location is prone to natural and man-made disasters of various kinds. Again the city of Cairns was lucky in that we did not get a direct hit from the cyclone or excessive storm surge experienced in nearby areas. But it is time we considered what would have happened had our hospital been taken out in Cyclone Yasi. Where would the large numbers of injured be taken? Innisfail, Mareeba, Atherton? They wouldn’t have the capability even if you could get through. Airport operations are compromised so air evacuations become difficult if not impossible. ”Mr Hunt said
Mr Hunt stated “If we are looking at the critical infrastructure we need to address in order to better prepare our area for disaster situations, then surely a second hospital has to be our highest priority. We need to make sure that the site we select is right not only for our current needs, but the needs of our area into the future. The longer we wait the shorter will be the time before our luck runs out.”
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