Jeannette Young labels Krispin Hajkowicz as ‘superb’ choice for new chief health officer

With a wry smile, Jeannette Young has responded to questions about the man tipped to replace her as Queensland’s Chief Health Officer after 16 years in the role.

Jeannette Young has labelled the man tipped to replace her as chief health officer as a “superb” choice.

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Director of Infectious Diseases Krispin Hajkowicz is expected to take over from Dr Young when she steps down from the role she has held for 16 years on November 1 to become the next Governor of Queensland.

With a wry smile Dr Young, who insisted Dr Hajkowicz had not yet been publicly chosen, would make a good choice.

“It hasn’t been formally announced but if he were to be appointed he would be superb,” she said.

“He’s been heading up our clinical response at the RBWH and I’ve used him to work with other hospitals … we have five networked hospitals for the management of Covid.”

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. Picture: Getty

RBWH Director of Infectious Diseases Krispin Hajkowicz.

Dr Young said Queensland had experienced just seven deaths from more than 2000 Covid cases, but warned the next CHO would have their work cut out.

“That excellent response is due to the work our clinicians have done and he’s been a lead in that,” she said.

“We are going to end up with cases going forward.

This will be endemic in Queensland, in Australia and the world so we need to be prepared to manage cases of Covid so he would be the perfect person.”

Hajkowicz, who is a 45-year-old father of three boys, has been praised an excellent choice by pandemic experts.

Professor Robert Booy, who is a member of the Immunisation Coalition told The Courier-Mail it was great to see the appointment of a doctor with considerable expertise and frontline knowledge of the virus as a new world awaits.