Scheduling ROMAC's Patients
ROMAC pays full fees for accommodation in public hospitals and the Intensive Care Unit in particular.
The surgeons and some other staff provide their services free of charge.
Prior to an overseas embassy granting a visa ROMAC must provide a quotation from the hospital with a schedule of dental, pre-op check and operation dates. In addition ROMAC must provide a certificate from Dept of Human Services certifying that "no Australian child will be disadvantaged" as a result of this treatment.
So as to ensure that no overseas patient (ROMAC, private or other) is scheduled that could adversely impact an Australian patient ROMAC maintains very close contact with the Overseas Cardiac Coordinator at our hospitals and we constantly juggle dates to fit with availabilities.
ICU availability is not predictable and even when we get patients here the operation dates can change. Cardiac cases frequently are the cases that are deferred as they are long term life saving but not short term critical.
It's complex as every child is as important as any another child but as Australian taxes pay for the hospital so government policy is that Australian cases are entitled to priority.
