Enter Your Email Address to Receive a
Copy of MedicExhange Member Demograhpics

Port Augusta residents can now find out more about why the city’s promised Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine was cancelled.

After a refusal from Health Minister Nicola Roxon to explain why none of the businesses that applied to run the MRI could “demonstrate the capacity to effectively establish and operate” the machine, The transcontinental filed a freedom of information (FOI) request for more information about the MRI licence termination.

Last week a letter from the Department of Health and Ageing revealed 85 photocopied pages of documents could be made available on the topic. However it would cost $1145.40. This is because it will take more than nine hours “searching and retrieving” the files and almost 50 hours of “decision making time” to fulfil the request, according to the department.

Member for Stuart, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, said the FOI charges are ridiculous.

He said Ms Roxon should have been up front about her department’s reasons to cancel the MRI in the first place.

“The only reason the government would not be forthcoming in giving this information is if that they had something to hide,” he said. “People have the right to know the facts.”

The Department of Health and Ageing this week did not return the The Transcontinental’s calls or emails. Previously they have said the Medicare eligibility for Port Augusta’s MRI unit was terminated because none of the applications met the criteria.

However, this is a fact Mr van Holst Pellekaan, Port Augusta Mayor Joy Baluch and Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey have passionately disputed.

“Ms Roxon has said the bid failed because no suitable operator could be found, I have consistently disputed this,” said Mr Ramsey. “One tenderer was informed their bid was of high quality, they had full professional and technical support from a current license holder and they were prepared to meet all set-up costs.”

Last month changes to freedom of information were passed through federal parliament. Among the reforms, the first five hours of decision making for journalist’s and not-for-profit group’s FOI requests will be free.

However these changes will not be implemented until November. Under the current laws FOI charges can be reduced or not imposed when the charges would cause financial hardship or where the document is in the public interest.

The Transcontinental is pursuing those options.

Source: Transcontinental