Express MIDLAND
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Tuesday, April 7, 2020
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Spreading it around
DOCTORS, NURSES NOT PROTECTED
Stress is mounting for medical professionals as they struggle to access basic personal protective equipment to face the coronavirus pandemic, including Macedon Ranges’ own. A local doctor, who did not wish to be identified, said supplies were shockingly low and healthcare workers were now resorting to desperate measures to feel safe in their work environment. “We’re all getting a bit nervous. There’s a lot of anxiety among staff and part of that is we feel don’t have optimal PPE. The further we get into this, the harder it is to get,” Dr Smith* said. “We have had to source our own disposable PPE from wherever we can - I’ve been knocking on doors of beauty salons and veterinary clinics to ask for face masks. Some are sourcing goggles from safety stores. That’s how desperate we’ve become.” Dr Smith has been providing vital care at both a metropolitan fever clinic and regional GP clinic, where medical workers are feeling stressed and ill-equipped as they are advised to rationalise PPE. Dr Smith said suspected infectious patients had been treated at a drive-through swabbing site and if unwell presented to urgent care or an ambulance was called. “Ambulance workers arrive in hazmat suits with N95 facemasks and face-shields, and we’ve just been around the patient in a gown - if we’ve got that,” Dr Smith said. “We’re wearing even less protective clothing now than we would for an infectious patient on an ordinary day. We are less protected than when we assess a patient that has gastro. This is something I have not seen before.” The Australian Government has sent the army in to help Australia’s only current manufacturer of surgical masks, MedCon based at Shepparton, which is aiming to double or triple its production. It has also issued a callout to the wider manufacturing industry to ask who else might be able to move into PPE manufacturing, while releasing stocks from the reserves in the national medical stockpile. The Victorian Government is preparing to spend $10 million to purchase 100M gloves, 10M masks and 1.5M gowns in addition. The current lack of PPE has forced Dr Smith to consider resigning from the clinic to protect patients at the doctor’s primary GP clinic role. “At the moment I do not feel safe at work and I am putting my other patients at risk if I continue. I’ve never felt so disappointed in my whole career,” Dr Smith said. “They keep saying PPE is on the way but we have no idea when it will be, how it will be distributed or whether PPE guidelines will be lifted.” A nurse working in emergency at a regional hospital told the Express it was her first year working in emergency and she was concerned it might be her last. Continued page 9
CRAIG CHESTER
Z\\hngmbg` Certified Practising Accountant Registered Tax Agent
KN246439
163 Mollison Street, Kyneton Phone 5422 1966 admin@ccacc.com.au
Due to the COVID-19 policies, we are not taking face to face appointments at present. Please direct enquiries to: admin@ccac.com.au or call 03 5422 1966. We are working through your queries and appreciate your understanding.
KN249903
Animus Distillery in Kyneton is one of several innovative gin distilleries who have turned their hand to making sanitiser in this time of coronavirus crisis (read more, page 18).Animus has just donated 50 bottles of their sanitiser to Windarring disability services as part of the company’s commitment to use 50 per cent of profits from each bottle sold to subsidise access to hand sanitiser for those in need in our community. “This will get us out of trouble, as it is so hard to get hold of in this crazy COVID19 world!” said Robyn deBoar, Windarring’s communications officer. “We really appreciate them doing this.”