Australian PM Pledges Increased Funding For Public Hospitals

CANBERRA, Feb 5 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a billion-dollar funding deal to cut waiting times at the country's public hospitals, reported Xinhua.

Albanese and Minister for Health Mark Butler on Wednesday said that the federal government has reached a deal with all eight states and territories to increase funding for the public healthcare system in 2025-26.

Under the agreement, the federal government will increase its funding for public hospitals and health services by A$1.7 billion (US$1.06 billion), bringing the total to A$33.91 billion (US$21.19 billion), a 12 per cent rise.

"This decision today will help save lives and lead to better outcomes for our nation's hospitals," Albanese told reporters in Canberra.

He said in a joint statement with Butler that the funding would help cut waiting lists, reduce wait times in emergency departments and address delays in transferring patients from ambulances to hospital beds.

Of the new additional funding, more than A$1.2 billion (US$749.9 million) will go towards hospitals in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, which account for over 75 per cent of the national population.

Public healthcare funding deals between the federal state and territory governments are usually five-year deals, with the current deal set to expire at the end of the current financial year on June 30.

Butler said that the government would not have time to renew the deal before the general election, which must be held by May, so instead opted for the one-year rollover agreement.  

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA