MEDIA RELEASE
24 April 2010
Private hospitals honour those who fought to protect our nation
This Anzac Day, Australia’s private hospitals would like to acknowledge the courage and commitment of those Australians who fought to serve and protect our nation.
“We are proud to support the men and women who served Australia through the many conflicts our country has faced – World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Malayan Emergency, the Gulf War through to current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and peacekeeping missions past and present,” says Michael Roff, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Private Hospitals Association.
“Taking care of veterans is a responsibility that Australia’s private hospitals take extremely seriously. Annually, we treat over 200,000 Australian veterans for a range of physiological and psychological conditions arising from their time serving our nation,” Mr Roff added.
A number of Australia’s private hospitals have a proud history of treating veterans over many years. Some originated as repatriation hospitals, providing a range of services to veterans amongst other patients; others have a more recent history working with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to be listed as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 hospital.
For example, Hollywood Private Hospital in Western Australia was originally built in 1942 as a military hospital and continues to be the principle provider of inpatient services for veterans in Western Australia.
Greenslopes Private Hospital in Queensland has provided the veteran community with first class health care for more than 60 years and in 2005 established The Gallipoli Research Foundation as a tribute to the Australian veteran community. The Foundation’s vision is to become an internationally renowned centre of excellence in health and medical research.
“Anzac Day services will be held in private hospitals across the nation to honour and commemorate the lives of those who have served and are currently serving our country,” says Mr Roff. “Services will bring together veterans and their families with the staff who heal them and the community who supports them.”
For more information contact:
Lisa Ramshaw, Public Affairs Manager, Australian Private Hospitals Association on 0413 971 999.
FACT: Private hospitals care for both public and private patients. In particular, they treat the majority of veterans, 200,000 annually compared to 125,000 in the public system.
Visit www.privatehospitals.org.au for further information about the vital role Australia’s private hospitals play every day in caring for Australian’s health and in supporting a sustainable health system.
