A coal-mining community in central Queensland will be left without a doctor for several days as the town continues to fight for more permanent local healthcare professionals.
The only doctor at the Moura Community Hospital, in the town south-west of Biloela, left on Friday.
Generally, there are two doctors employed at the six-bed hospital, but now residents of the town, population 1,786, will have to travel 40 minutes to Biloela or Theodore to see one.
Moura Hospital Advisory Group chair Debbie Elliott said the lack of doctors was concerning, given the industry in the region.
"It certainly is one of those things where in this community you really want to see a doctor onsite," she said.
"We are very fortunate we have a really good staff at the hospital and they will be doing their best."
Ms Elliott said she understood if someone presented to the hospital, they would be seen by a nurse, who would connect the patient to a doctor via telehealth if needed.
"If it's a more serious situation, the rescue helicopter comes out and the patients are taken through to Rockhampton," she said.
Doctor coming soon, service says
A Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service spokesperson said a locum doctor had been contracted to the hospital but was not able to take up the role "as a result of an urgent medical issue".
"As a result, Moura Hospital will be without medical coverage until [Saturday, March 19], unless attempts to urgently recruit further locum coverage are successful.
LNP Member for Callide Colin Boyce said Paul Bell, the chair of the health service's board, had assured him they were working hard to find a locum doctor for the rest of this week.
"For a community like Moura, with its mining and agriculture and heavy industries, we need to have a doctor there ... it's imperative that happens," he said.
"Obviously the health system is suffering somewhat of a crisis in terms of being able to deliver healthcare outcomes, particularly to rural Queensland, and that's an ongoing issue.
"It's a complicated issue that is not easily solved."
Senate inquiry to examine issues
It is the latest instalment in a series of long-running issues facing regional and rural healthcare in central Queensland.
Those issues are set to be investigated when the Senate Inquiry into the Provision of General Practitioner and Related Primary Health Services to Outer Metropolitan, Rural and Regional Australians visits Emerald on Thursday.
Ms Elliott is set to speak at that inquiry, as are other community representatives.
The Moura and District Health Care Association, in its submission to the inquiry, said there had been several occasions in the past when there had been no doctor in the town.
"It has always been stated by [Queensland] Health that Moura would be staffed by two doctors at all times," the submission read.
"The appointment of permanent district locums would alleviate many of the problems in Banana Shire hospitals, and many other rural areas would benefit from the same positions being created."
The inquiry will also hear from the Isaac Regional Council about issues in that region, including the town of Clermont, which has also had periods without a doctor at its hospital.
