AMA (WA) in the Media

At the AMA (WA), we take pride in being a strong voice for doctors, patients, and the healthcare system as a whole. Over the past two months, the AMA (WA) has been in the media, speaking up on relevant issues like a fire in the ICU at Fiona Stanley Hospital in August. Here’s a look at some of our most significant media appearances.

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HIGHLIGHTS

ABC NEWS

Age-old ramping issues

With August ramping hitting more than 6,600 hours, the highest monthly figure so far this year, AMA (WA) President Dr Kyle Hoath identified reducing aged care wait times to free up hospital beds as a significant part of the solution. “It’s not a good place for them to be, and it’s 400 beds we could use otherwise for sick Western Australians who are then causing people to have to wait in ambulances out the front of emergency departments. This is not acceptable.”

6PR

Presidency challenges

Oliver Peterson interviewed former AMA and AMA (WA) President Michael Gannon about his open letter to candidates for the AMA presidency. He spoke about how challenging the role can be, given the systemic issues that Australia’s entire health system is facing – with general practice struggling, public hospitals underfunded, and the viability of private hospitals and health insurers increasingly precarious. “In my article I referred to the things that were really important 12 years ago, and they’re still important now; and every element of those still faces significant threats. There are certainly things that have improved over the years, but there are other pressures on the system.”

CHANNEL 7 NEWS

Call for fire review

Dr Kyle Hoath commented on the fire inside Fiona Stanley Hospital’s ICU. “A fire occurring in an ICU is really scary, this could have been far worse. For staff to be able to maintain their clinical care whilst evacuating the ICU is exemplary. I’d be very surprised if the department and the hospital don’t jump into quickly reviewing this and making sure there is no risk of this occurring again.”

6PR

Private health insurance changes

Dr Kyle Hoath spoke to Simon Beaumont about private health insurance changes for people over the age of 65 and over the age of 70. “If you’re over 65 or over 70, there’s a rebate that’s an incentive for them to keep their private health insurance, which is important because our health sector is very much a delicate balance of the public and private sector. If we lose that balance and we have a number of Australians choosing not to continue their private health insurance because the rebate disappears, then that just means longer waits in the public sector; and particularly in those things like hip replacements, heart problems, cancer, that we don’t see more frequently until later in life.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook

A post about two AMA (WA) members, Professor Desiree Silva and Professor Chan Cheah, who were both finalists for the 2026 Premier’s Science Awards got 45,403 views and 140 interactions.

A post with AMA (WA) President
Dr Kyle Hoath’s comments about the State Government’s decision to reduce the number of Ward 5A beds at Perth Children’s Hospital got 33,774 views and 160 interactions.

A post welcoming the addition of 60 public beds and three public theatres at St John of God Midland Public Hospital got 33,691 views and 160 interactions.

A post about our AMC Clinical Exam course, led by
Dr Krishnapriya Balanarayanan, got 12,286 impressions and 524 engagements.

A post about AMA (WA) Surgeon Representative
Dr Mark Duncan-Smith’s comments to 60 Minutes about reports of overseas cosmetic surgery going wrong got 10,820 impressions and 263 engagements.

A post congratulating the AMA’s new President, Sydney GP Dr Michael Bonning, and new Vice President, Melbourne emergency medicine specialist Dr Sarah Whitelaw, got 6,106 impressions and 381 engagements.

Two posts about AMA (WA) member and Councillor
Dr Ramya Raman, who was recently elected as the next RACGP President, got a total of 8,499 impressions and 584 engagements. Congrats post: Impressions 5,888; Engagements 327. Endorsement post: Impressions 2,611; Engagements 257.