Ferntree Gully Belgrave
Council closures due to Covid-19
Montrose roundabout to soon be traffic lights
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Tuesday, 18 January, 2022
Mail Preserving the hills first ever newspaper
Theatre production to celebrate Edna Walling
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A Star News Group Publication
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Eastern Health - who run the Angliss Hospital - are currently facing high demand in the Emergency Departments. Pictures: ROB CAREW
The emergency rooms of hospitals in the Eastern region have seen huge demand for treatment.
At breaking point City and Cardinia Council, and asked nonurgent emergencies to contact nurses on Call. As of 11 January, 422 Ambulance Victoria employees were isolating and unable to work. From 11.20pm on 10 January, some emergency calls for ambulances and paramedics were delayed because of the demand for emergency services. The code red escalation response ended at 3.35am 11 January. “The global Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant and unprecedented impact on health systems including Ambulance Victoria and hospital emergency departments,” an Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said. “Ambulance Victoria has a detailed Emer-
gency Response Plan and escalation procedures to effectively manage a surge in workload and demand.” This was the second time in a week a code red escalation response was declared by Ambulance Victoria. The government agency expects ambulances and hospitals will be even busier over the coming weeks with increasing Covid case numbers in the community. CEO of the Victorian Healthcare Association Tom Symondson said the Victorian and Commonwealth governments must urgently act to secure the health workforce in coming weeks and months. Continued page 3
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The rapid rise of omicron cases across the state has put immense pressure on ambulance, hospital and triple-zero services, and it’s only expected to get worse. On 12 January acting Health Minister James Merlino said over 6600 hospital staff are currently isolating because of Covid-19 infection or are close contacts. Among these thousands of isolating healthcare professionals are staff from Eastern Health, who runs the Anglis, Healesville, Maroondah and Box Hill hospitals, which all provide care to Yarra Ranges and Knox residents. An Eastern Health spokesperson said the
extreme demand in their emergency departments is the result of several different factors. “These include many staff having to furlough for Covid related reasons and an increase in demand for Covid-specific activity,” the spokesperson said. “Both of these factors put additional strain on the health service for both Covid and nonCovid care.” Mr Merlino said a “code brown” response – where all leave for hospital workers would be cancelled – is currently under consideration. This followed Ambulance Victoria activating a red escalation response in the metropolitan area, which includes Yarra Ranges, Knox
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By Parker McKenzie