Yesterday the Health Minister and State Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan met with a number of Mount Isa Hospital’s doctors, nurses, allied health, administration staff and patients.

On Wednesday he spent time in Cloncurry.

Mr Lucas said Mount Isa was a major hub for surrounding districts and its services needed to reflect this.

“Queensland Health is a people organisation and we need to focus on recruiting and retaining people to work out here,” Mr Lucas said.

“There are wonderful benefits of working in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.”

This included trying to attract specialists and couples to the region, if one worked in health and the other in another industry, such as mining.

Mr Lucas said the considerable cost and lack of housing here was also a factor the government was aiming to address, investing $7.2 million in housing since 2005.

While he said Mrs Kiernan had brought up the issue of patient accommodation for people from remote locations, so hospital beds were not taken up.

Mount Isa Health Service District executive director of medical services Greg Coffey said the talks were extremely valuable.

He said he was confident the Health Minister would address the issues they raised with him.