Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I took a point-of-care glycated haemoglobin test, thanks to the Pathology Technology Australia visit to parliament. I have to say how pleased I was with this technology. As someone who has had gestational diabetes, I found that the test where you have to fast and then pump yourself up on sugar to then come crashing down was a horrible experience. But this technology is a terrific replacement for that. I really want to see this point-of-care testing become more accessible to the Australian people so that women, and anyone who needs to do one of those other horrible tests, are able to do a much more rapid and accessible test where appropriate.

I think this should be affordable because it is simply replacing a different kind of test in our Medicare subsidies, so I very much look forward to this technology being more widely available. Currently, for example, it can take a long time for test results to get to and from remote communities. Where we've got a high burden of disease, for example in some remote Indigenous communities, it would be terrific to be able to see this technology diagnose high blood sugar levels there and then on the spot, so people can get their diabetes diagnosed and therefore protect their lives and their kidneys. It was an entirely pain-free, easy experience, and I very much want to thank Pathology Technology Australia for being here in parliament today.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Pratt. We will move to question time, and I call Senator Birmingham.