A senior doctor’s revealed a hospital on the NSW south coast was just a day from closing down due to unpaid bills.
Shoalhaven
Hospital came close to stopping all surgery recently because a bill had
not been paid and there was only one day of sterilisation solution left.
Head
of Surgery Martin Jones told Fairfax the bill was paid and the ban
lifted after he spent considerable time chasing management about the
issue.
Jones said the hospital had also been put on a stop supply for cataract lenses by a supplier who hadn’t been paid.
According
to Fairfax .. medical suppliers are owed tens of millions of dollars by
four area health services .. Northern Sydney Central Coast .. Greater
Southern .. South Eastern Sydney Illawarra and Greater Western ..
although NSW Health has refused to reveal the exact amount.
NSW Health Minister John Della Bosch agreed to release five
million dollars .. to clear thousands of unpaid bills racked up by the
Greater Western Area Health Service.