Shocking living conditions of a group of chronically-ill hospital patients at Port Hedland in Western Australia have been uncovered by the ABC.
Dialysis patients and other seriously ill people say they have no choice but to live in the open or in small tents near a hospital in the town.
They have no access to water, food or sanitation because there is no accommodation available to them.
The patients are often supported by family members who have also moved in to the squalid camps.
The hospital is an impressive new complex on the outskirts of South Hedland.
Next to it are a series of camps, which are home to a large number of ill people and their families.
They say they are stuck there; they need regular healthcare at the hospital but they cannot afford to live anywhere else.
The conditions are best described as squalid and alcohol abuse in the area is rife.
Their nearest water comes from a tap in a sobering-up centre a couple of kilometres away.
The ABC says there appear to be about 100 or so residents in the camp, but it is impossible to say how many are permanent.
New hostel promised
West Australian Housing Minister Troy Buswell says the housing problem is a significant issue and a hostel will be built to house those living in camps.
''Port Hedland, because of its nature, is a regional health facility. People travel to Port Hedland for a whole range of treatment including dialysis,'' he said.
''It means they're often there for extended periods of time.
''Now a lot of those people can stay with family and friends. A lot of them are currently in accommodation which is not of a suitable standard.
''As part of the new hospital development at Port Hedland, a new hostel is being built, which will provide better accommodation options for those people who have to travel into Port Hedland to seek medical care,'' Mr Buswell said.
