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What
an unbelievable few weeks even from a restriction-eased Perth West Australia
environment, reverberations from Melbourne Eastern seaboard felt palpable. And
we keep learning lessons. We knew of some, but recent happenings call for
lesson reinforcement.
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Original image courtesy: Dreamstime
Perth Optus Stadium is a popular visitor site as Covid-19 movement restrictions eases |
I
won’t delve into aged care homes, there are positive signs there Governments
are making policy progress since Newmarch. And a quick big plus to Government’s
economic stabilisation measures relating to Jobkeeper and Jobseeker post
September – sounds balanced. Okay, next.
I
was listening to the ABC a couple of days ago they were talking to a former
Australian Medical Association President and prominent GP Mukesh Haikerwal. He
pointed out that not all GP outlets are getting a steady supply of PPE: https://youtu.be/IQKaiia6zXE.
I thought what? What does it all mean if some
General Medical Practice centres are short of masks and the like? What are
safety and access impacts for staff and service users? I assumed every State is
now awash with PPE, so why are masks not sufficiently reaching practitioners?
And there are other gaps. This same interview
has to be heard to be believed. Dr Haikerwal noted lack of consistency in quarantining
and isolation guidance practices:
- Some clinics apply precautionary measures in
that after testing a suspected covid-19 case they ask a person not to go to
work or interact freely – you wait to get your result first
- Some clinics perform tests and let you go to
work
- Other clinics are even said to let people
with positive results go to work
- Then there are cases where some people with proven
positive Covid-19 results are not promptly notified - it still takes a couple
of days before being contacted
- In his view, the system is swamped
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Courtesy: Bigstock
Illustrates use of PPE |
It
is puzzling. The Australian PM has
restated in the media he has an open account to respond to State of Victoria’s
requests, so why has Victoria been reluctant to maximize the Commonwealth offer
and ensure early intervention? Why not use Commonwealth resources to ensure
rapid responses and testing notifications so that the Victoria system is not overly
swamped??
At
a different level GP clinics on their part operate under Commonwealth Medicare
system and likely supported by other Federal Department of Health programs. So
why is it so hard for the Feds to ensure enough masks are distributed by the
Commonwealth in the first instance to all GP practices?
In
a previous article I mentioned the need to pro-actively engage communities not
just in implementation but significantly in designing and formulating solutions See here.
However,
the Melbourne crisis is bringing out more gaps to light on importance of social
inclusion and participation. Here is an example of a glaring gap to include and
draw insights from medical GPs on the ground working with migrant communities –
I am using quotes more or less verbatim:
- Nearby
school with predominantly Arab speaking folk, Arab-speaking doctors in the area
ignored - not engaged
- Arabic
speaking doctors in area with incidences of Covid are overlooked and not
included in the trail
- These
doctors know these patients but are not included….Much we can do
- Arab
speaking doctors ignored - nonsensical – completely excluded
On inclusion,
of course we are not just talking about clinical care.
The
Melbourne Towers initial chaos made it evident that those planning at higher
level are drawing knowledge from clinical and law-and-order type knowledge. But
there were many of us left wondering why Victoria State authorities had no appreciation
that they also needed care coordination and management informed by diverse cultural and psychosocial
knowledge. It was so clear they were dealing with an issue requiring an
inter-disciplinary approach. That would not be news to leaders and Ministers in
those areas, surely.
So
it should not be too surprising that the rest of us were shocked that authorities
planned and implemented Towers Lockdown without getting input from experienced
migrant workers/ social workers. This remains a puzzle given that when we think
about crisis management, you would think those with experience working with
people across psychosocial and cultural systems will not be excluded.
While
we are at it, it is also a reminder that the removal of bits of policy
development monies that used to be part of settlement services funded to the
community sector across Australia is having long-term ramifications - government
policy and design can benefit if such funding is restored. We can learn how the
Aboriginal Community Controlled Healthcare Services are at least able to feed
policy and design inputs through their structures.
I
will also not be honest if I didn’t mention our own individual responsibility.
We all go out and about and are familiar with our own or around about
behaviours that we need to be overcome.
Try
wearing a mask and see the looks you getJ.
Someone once and in a sincere way asked me “are you crook love, why are you
wearing a mask?” And this was while I was pursuing work in public space where
social distancing was limited. Apparently something in our dominant Anglo-Saxon culture rubs
people the wrong way if you wear a mask according to some commentators (laugh out loud).
If
it was up to me, everyone taking a train, bus, taxi or rideshare should wear a
mask. I also like the idea of masking up at shopping centres at least at peak hours.
I am all for freedoms, but I think even if not compulsory masks should be encouraged
as appropriately in Covid-19 risky spaces.
It
is also common to see customers and staff at chemist shops without masks. In my lay person’s mind I have thought wow,
what if someone waiting there for their prescription has Covid-19, what then if
none of us has a mask? Once I engaged in a friendly conversation with one of my
local Pharmacist at the peak of the pandemic in WA. I asked how he managed
without a mask. He said even as a Pharmacist at the time he could not get a
mask though he wanted one. Luckily things have changed in my State; masks are
available in abundance in many outlets.
Perhaps
instead of waiting for a vaccine as a panacea of everything, how about we
implement more of practical everyday small steps like masking up in public
spaces like public transport and busy shopping centres? And it is good for the
economy. We can learn from the social and economic disruption experienced in
Melbourne.
On
closing borders, yesterday I heard the NT First Minister say he will have
borders closed for a couple of years presumably based on the recent Melbourne
Covid-19 spread. Got to confess I had a bit of a chuckle. I don’t understand the
powerful forces that wish to force States like WA to open borders prematurely. Just
because the constitution says “trade between the Commonwealth to be free”
surely should not drive us to abandon common sense. And herd immunity doesn’t work,
spare us.
Instead
of the likes of Clive Palmer taking the WA State to the Australian High Court,
how about focussing on helping Victoria and NSW in preventing Covid-19 outbreaks
more proactively?
If
we neglect to address policy, design and implementation gaps that have emerged
in Melbourne, then as country and if the rest of Australia is forced to open
borders to Victoria and NSW, we are then headed for the least common
denominator. Great as Australia has performed in tackling Covid-19, we will be
blind not to admit there is room for improvement in preventing spread.
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