Rural health at crisis point as towns go without local doctors, fund their own medical practice

Packing up his car for another arduous journey, Paul Lane is spending his precious final years travelling long distances to get treatment for the pain caused by terminal liver cancer. Key points: Moura hasn't had a permanent GP since December; residents resort to telehealth or driving to Biloela National Rural Health Alliance says there is a persistent maldistribution of health professionals Coalition and Labor make identical election commitments to lure medical professionals beyond the cities The 47-year-old was diagnosed in November and he and his wife make the two-hour drive from their Moura home in central Queensland to Rockhampton, 168 kilometres away, every two weeks for scans and immunotherapy. Both the Coalition and Labor have made identical election commitments to try to lure medical professionals beyond the cities and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia hopes it will be a "game changer", no matter who wins the May 21 poll. "We are thrilled with the promise of increased funding under a reform of the Workforce Incentive Program for medical practitioners providing quality care to rural and remote communities," Dr Belot said. "It was pretty disappointing, we all wanted to have a doctor here," said Joy Cooper, president of the Nebo Medical Action Group and local paramedic.