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Federal Member for Calare John Cobb today renewed his call for a Royal Commission into healthcare in New South Wales following startling revelations about the under equipped nature of the EC145 rescue helicopter.
Mr Cobb’s calls come almost a year to the day after a 26 year old bushwalker died from severe heat stroke when a helicopter had to be called from Sydney because the local rescue helicopter was not adequately fitted with a winch.
“Today’s revelations unfortunately come as no surprise when time and time again myself and the state opposition have pleaded for better services in the area”, Mr Cobb said.
“Again we are seeing lives being put at risk around the region whilst the State Labor Government funnel resources into Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong and Kevin Rudd and Nicola Roxon stand idly by.”
Mr Cobb first made a call for a Royal Commission into New South Wales Health in 2008 which included an examination of the running of the helicopter service.
“The allocation of these helicopters continues to defy logic and the best interest of the public”, Mr Cobb said.
“We need a larger, better equipped rescue helicopter service, yet we seem to going backwards with the current chopper unable to do some of the things the previous Bell 412 could do.”
“This is simply putting lives at risk and it is high time Kevin Rudd and Nicola Roxon or Kristina Keneally and Carmel Tebbutt took ownership of this mess and did something about it”, Mr Cobb said.
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