Qld Health under fire for pop-up clinic only 2km from Gympie Civic Centre hub

A decision to open a Covid vaccination clinic at Gympie State High School has come under fire with Queensland Health asked why the existing set up, just 2km away, wasn’t enough.

Queenalnd Health has defended against criticism over its decision to hold a pop-up clinic at Gympie High School, with a source querying why the Civic Centre hub, only 2km away, was not itself opened instead of having staff ship equipment from the centre up the road and then back again.

Queensland Health has been accused of wasting taxpayers money by opening a pop-up clinic at a Gympie school only 2km away from the region’s main hub at the weekend.

The State Government department came under fire over the plan, with a source saying equipment had to be pulled out of the established Civic Centre hub, driven to the school and then returned.

This was despite the hub only opening for four hours across the weekend, according to State Government media releases.

The source said it was a waste of money given the Civic Centre hub was only 2km away, and asked why it was not simply opened instead.

The State Government defended the decision, saying various vaccinations options had to be on offer.

“We dispute that any part of the vaccine rollout is a ‘waste of money’,” a Queensland Health spokesman said.

The pop-up clinic targeted teenagers aged 12-16, according to State Government media releases.

“The health and safety of Queenslanders is of the utmost priority, and it is recognised that there is not a one size fits all approach to get people vaccinated, and we need to offer various options.”

The weekend clinics targeted teenagers aged 12-16.

“As the vaccine rollout continues, we continue to enhance access to the vaccine and make it as easy and convenient as possible to get vaccinated,” the spokesman said.

“This means taking a flexible approach and enabling more opportunistic vaccinations where people, work, live, shop and play.

“We want as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible – and providing vaccinations to people where they already are or directly in their local communities is one measure we are taking to do this.”

A source said staff had to move equipment from the Civic Centre up the road to the school pop-up clinic, and then back again at the end of the weekend.

Believing not everyone would go to a vaccination centre, GP or pharmacy to be vaccinated the spokesman said “that’s why we are coming to them with pop-up clinics at community events, sporting events, local schools and Bunnings stores”.

Queensland Health did not respond to questions about whether the upcoming weekend pop-up clinic at Bunnings, only 5km from the Civic Centre hub, would require the same removal and transport of existing resources.

The Civic Centre hub has not been routinely open on weekends since it launched at the end of July.

Staff are drawn from across the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service to administer vaccines at various pop-up clinics, and the equipment is transported by way of Hospital and Health Service transports.