Elsie Lange
A Hume councillor has echoed the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)’s call to continue free access to rapid antigen tests (RATs) for concession card holders.
Jacksons Creek Ward councillor Jarrod Bell said he’d been a consistent advocate for “free and universal access” to RATs since “day one”.
“The safety blanket of a test is important for everyone to be able to function in society,” Cr Bell said.
“With the massive rise in the cost of living, from energy to food and other bills, we shouldn’t be adding additional costs to peoples’ bottom lines.
“Especially a function as essential as making sure that you’re well and you’re not sick. I think that everyone has a right to know if they’re sick or not.”
The message comes following the federal government’s announcement that concession card holders would no longer have access to 10 free rapid antigen tests every three months beyond July.
RACGP president Adjunct Professor Karen Price said $8 tests was a “considerable expense” for many people.
“[Free access to RATs] is particularly important for people with high risk factors such as underlying health conditions, those facing situations where the risk of transmission is high, and patients who can’t be vaccinated,” Adjunct Professor Price said.
“We can’t just have healthcare available to those who can afford it, accessibility for vulnerable groups on low incomes is vital.”
The RACGP said it was calling on state, territory and federal governments to provide RATs to GPs, high-risk locations such as supported accommodation and residential aged care, as well as free access to RATs for all people, “prioritising target populations during supply constraint”.
Cr Bell said he didn’t want to see the “most vulnerable” in Hume and across the state to “lock themselves away”.
“I know people who are in effect, in a shadow lockdown, because they’re worried about walking out their doors,” Cr Bell said.
“They just don’t know what’s happening, they don’t know what their situation is and what the situation is of everyone around them.”
