True political leadership is exemplified by the courage to do what’s right for the benefit of communities and the betterment of society. It resists myopic decision making aimed primarily at surviving election cycles.
It is incumbent on our new government to develop visionary and sustainable health strategies that prioritise prevention, innovation and community education.
For example, if we invested now in child health literacy, we could redress inequity into the future, equipping today’s kids with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions, enabling them to actively participate in their own health and wellbeing.
Similarly, if we were brave enough to stand up to Big Tobacco and stop them from making billions of dollars at the expense of our children’s health, we would in turn save billions of dollars and most importantly, thousands of lives.
Imagine providing every Tasmanian child with preventative dental care instead of dealing with an adult population in need of urgent tooth extraction, which has significant physical and mental health impacts as well as being costly to the individual and the health system.
Of course, it can’t be left up to government alone to achieve transformational change. Everyone in the community has a part to play and collaboration is critical.
St Lukes has a vision to make Tasmania the healthiest island on the planet and we are genuine about making this a reality.
We intend to empower our members and the community to take steps towards better health themselves, and we have already done a lot to understand what Tasmanians need to take control of their own health.
For our part, we are opening our own dental practices this year to supplement and support existing dental services across the state, and we hope to treat public patients through the government’s voucher program.
Just $2 million per annum for four years would give Tasmanians access to 7,000 vouchers for acute and general dental care episodes through private dentists each year, significantly reducing emergency dental presentations statewide.
We are also implementing a dedicated trial to improve the health literacy of our employees, with the aim of developing a program that can be rolled out across the Tasmanian business community.
Last year we opened the first of our wellness hubs to the community, with inclusive sessions that facilitate movement, nutrition and connection as well as providing free access to our health navigators who are expert in helping people find their way through our complex health system.
St Lukes is not afraid to do some heavy lifting and we know there are other organisations and individuals doing incredible things to support the health and wellbeing of future generations.
However, Tasmania needs leadership from government to provide the necessary reform, frameworks and funding to facilitate urgently needed innovation.
I urge every member of the Tasmanian Parliament to reveal the part she or he is prepared to play in making Tasmania healthier by delivering equity, accessibility and quality health care, and by fostering resilience and adaptability in our health system.
Paul Lupo is the CEO of Tasmanian not-for-profit health insurer St Lukes.