Australia’s Public Hospitals Need $34 Billion Boost, Medical Association Warns

Emergency departments performance has fallen to record lows, bed capacity has barely risen, and surgery wait times have grown by 55 percent.

A doctor and a medical team are seen with a suspected COVID-19 patient in a 2020 file photo. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The Australian Medical Association says Australia’s public hospital system will need at least $34 billion in additional funding to keep up with growing demand.

The findings were released in the AMA’s Public Hospital Report Card on March 12, which highlights growing pressure on hospitals, including longer surgery waiting lists and hospital capacity failing to keep pace with demand.