Humpty Going where support is needed most Steve Liebmann

Around 7 million people, or roughly 29% of our population, live in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia. Last year a record number of Australians, some prompted by the COVID-19 situation moved out of our cities in search of a different, more relaxed lifestyle.

COVID-19 and the ease of working from home — coupled with the increased convenience of the online economy — has made country living a feasible alternative for people living in metropolitan areas.

However, regional Australia lacks parity with its city cousins in many areas. The exodus from the cities to the regions has put even greater pressure on education, job opportunities, infrastructure, telecommunications and, importantly, health facilities.

Last year almost 2 million people attended state public hospital emergency departments, but in regional areas, residents often lack easy access to health services.

In many rural and regional areas there aren’t enough doctors, specialists, healthcare providers or adequate equipment. A recent report claimed some towns have been left with just one obstetric general practitioner to serve a region of 19,000 people. Often people living in regional areas are undertaking trips to hospitals a day’s drive away for consultations and basic surgeries.

Maternity, obstetric and paediatric services present a huge challenge for our rural areas. Some towns have not had a specialist maternity service for over two decades. In less than 30 years more than 250 rural maternity services have been closed, forcing women to travel hundreds of kilometres to give birth. And if there have been complications pre-birth or after delivery, the outcome can be catastrophic.

On average, Australians living in regional, rural and remote areas have shorter lives and higher levels of disease and injury. Statistics show the five year survival rate for people diagnosed with cancer decreases as the remoteness increases and the death rate from cardiovascular disease is higher too. And the problem is growing as migration from larger cities places increased pressures on an already strained healthcare system.

Over 234,000 children are born in public hospitals per year throughout Australia. Without the Humpty Dumpty Foundation and its generous supporters, many would not survive.

Humpty’s Wish List has linked donors with the needs of frontline healthcare workers for more than 30 years, raising over $80 million and enabling the purchase of thousands of pieces of medical equipment for paediatric wards, neonatal units, maternity and emergency departments.