Canberra, March 31 (Inditop.com) Australia will spend over 430 million Australian dollars ($394 million) for a new diabetic care programme, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here Wednesday.
Unveiling the government’s plans to reform the health system, Rudd said hospitals will struggle to treat around two million diabetics over the next decade if there is no alternative plan.
The new programme expected to take off by 2012-13 will help diabetics manage their health and keep them out of hospital.
“In 2007-08, around 237,000 hospital admissions were related to complications from diabetes that could have been avoided through better management,” the Australian prime minister was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The fund will be given to doctors who take on diabetic patients and provide a personal care programme to ensure they stay healthy enough so they do not need hospital treatment, Rudd said.
Doctors will be paid 1,200 Australian dollars ($1,098) a year for every diabetic they treat, with an extra 10,800 Australian dollars ($9,887) a year to be given if their patients’ health improves.
Rudd said around 4,300 general practitioners will be available by 2012-13 when the programme is expected to begin.
“Approximately 260,000 patients with diabetes will be voluntarily enrolled in a personalised care programme by 2013-14,” he said.
