Darling Downs Health to receive $130M in extra funding
In the fight against coronavirus, additional funds will help DDH staff on front line.
South Burnett
Don't miss out on the headlines from South Burnett. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE QUEENSLAND government has announced Darling Downs doctors, nurses, paramedics and health professionals are expected to receive up to $130 million in extra funding to ramp up their COVID-19 preparations.
Darling Downs Health Chief Executive Dr Peter Gillies acknowledged the hard work of staff during the pandemic.
“Our most important resource is our people,” Dr Gillies said.
“All our staff have worked hard to plan for the projected demand on our services and I am incredibly proud of how quickly we have been able to prepare.
“As a health service we have put significant resources into increasing our capacity in the areas we need to – in our intensive care, in our wards, and in our emergency departments.
“We’ve recently trained our clinical staff in Emergency Management and Education Training for COVID-19 positive patients, so they are ready on the front line.
“We know that it’s not easy for people to practice social distancing, but at this time, we need our communities to save lives by staying home.
“It’s the one thing everyone can do to help keep people safe.”
Minister Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles said one of the main purposes of their visits to regional hospitals was to meet with key clinicians and executives and determine what more can be done to contain COVID-19.
“Every one of our Hospital and Health Services has a comprehensive plan in place but pandemics by their very nature are unpredictable and apt to change rapidly so it’s critical they have our full support.”
Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service said they were currently managing 19 positive cases of COVID-19 with no patients currently being treated in hospital The Health Service has managed a total of 41 positive cases, including two deaths.
Queensland Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeannette Young said no region was immune to the novel coronavirus.
“While the majority of cases are in southeast Queensland, numbers are unfortunately climbing in regional areas of the state,” she said.
“This is a pandemic, which means no matter where people live, they are at risk of COVID-19. The best way to avoid infection is to follow our advice and comply with rules in place regarding quarantine and isolation, social distancing, shutdown protocols, personal hygiene and non-essential travel.
“Heeding our advice will save lives; if not your own, then someone else’s.”
K’gari dingoes not relocated to Bunya Mountains, Mayor says
An increase in close encounters and dingo sightings in the Bunya Mountains had raised concerns among some South Burnett residents that dingoes from Fraser Island were being relocated to the mainland.
My First Year: Gympie preps funny faces and bloopers
From zombies to monkey ears and everything in between, Prep students across Gympie pulled their best silly faces for the camera, as The Gympie Times captured lasting memories for the 2025 My First Year gallery.