The Federal Budget must respond urgently to the health and economic lessons of the COVID pandemic and provide funding to ensure that care of elderly and low-income Australians is properly provided for, the Consumers Health Forum says.
“The pandemic has revealed many cracks in our society and economy including: the extent of casualisation of the workforce; growing income inequality; an inadequate income support system; and a digital divide which is leaving many people behind,” the CEO of CHF, Leanne Wells, said today.
Releasing CHF’s supplementary , Ms Wells said: “It is those cracks that the 2020 Budget needs to start to address as they will widen and result in poorer health outcomes and even greater cost burden on health and human service systems if immediate action is not taken.
“The shocking plight experienced by so many aged care residents and staff and the tragic deaths that have resulted have caused great distress to the community, much of which could have been avoided with a better resourced and directed system.
