LOCALS have told The Guardian that they have found it difficult to consult with a doctor in Swan Hill for the last few weeks.
Swan Hill resident Mic Auricht said he had been unable to book an appointment with Swan Hill Medical Group when he was in urgent need of a script.
“I was in need of scripts urgently because I’ve run out of medication,” he said.
Mr Auricht said he had to wait more than half an hour to get in contact with the clinic.
“Just trying to get in was impossible,” he said.
“I rang at eight o’clock in the morning when they first opened and it was a fight for everyone, and I got disconnected a couple of times.
“And when I finally got through, they told me that they were just booked out.
“I was told everything was booked out for a month and to just keep trying at eight o’clock every morning.”
Mr Auricht said he was only able to get his medication the next day due to another appointment he booked much earlier.
Swan Hill District Health say they are currently dealing with high demand for local health services and have advised patients to use telehealth services like Doctors on Demand and Victorian Virtual Emergency as well as to book appointments ahead of time for script repeats.
They have also said there will be limited numbers of appointments available on the day when calling the clinic directly.
“Our dedicated team at SHDH are working hard to care for everyone in our community,” they said.
“Our ED & GP services are currently pushed with high winter demand, and this is resulting in longer wait times.
“Swan Hill Medical and Swan Hill Primary Health are not currently operating a walk-in clinic. Appointments are essential to attend either clinic.
“If the situation is life-threatening, please call Triple Zero (000).
“We are working hard to engage more doctors to service our community. SHDH would like to thank everyone for their understanding and support. Together, we can ensure everyone receives the care they need.”
The closure of Balranald Medical Centre has also added to the number of patients seeking care in Swan Hill according to Swan Hill District Health executive director of medical services Associate Professor Rex Prabhu.
“The increased loss of GPs in the local community including Balranald is of great concern to us,” he said.
“SHDH continues to work on attracting additional GPs through both recruitment of experienced GPs and GP training programs.”
