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SYDNEY, June 6. Announcing its 2022-23 budget, the government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) committed on Monday a record 4.5 billion Australian dollars (about 3.24 billion U.S. dollars) investment for its healthcare system.
The investment, the largest of its kind ever in the state, is for hiring over 10,000 new healthcare workers. It would be spread out over four years and in a bid to take pressure off existing staff, which have been stretched to their limits over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone in NSW is indebted to our health workers for their selfless efforts throughout the pandemic, remembering for a long time there was no vaccine and they risked their lives each day to care for patients,” said NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on Monday.
“This record investment will help us care for health staff across the state, providing the respite and back-up they need. It will also boost staff numbers in hospitals to deliver quality health care closer to home, ensuring better health outcomes and a brighter future for NSW families.”
The additional staff would include nurses and midwives, doctors, paramedics, pathologists and scientific staff, pharmacists, and will be recruited into 110 healthcare infrastructure projects in the pipeline.
An additional 1.76 billion Australian dollars (about 1.27 billion U.S. dollars) were committed to hiring over 2,000 staff for NSWs ambulance system, which has been under unprecedented pressure.
And in recognition of current health care workers, the NSW government also lifted the pay increase cap for healthcare workers in the state from 2.5 to 3 percent, in addition to a one-off 3,000 Australian dollar (about 2,160 U.S. dollars) payment in recognition of their work on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“NSW is currently enjoying the lowest unemployment on record and it is important to maintain competitive wages to attract and retain the best talent. In the context of a strong and growing economy this two-year increase to wages is an affordable and sensible policy,” said NSW Treasurer Matt Kean.
