Health Minister tells inquiry frontline health staff ‘overused’ PPE
Health Minister Brad Hazzard has told a parliamentary inquiry that frontline health workers ‘overused’ PPE at the start of the coronavirus crisis. However more than 80 have caught COVID-19 at work.
NSW Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Send your support messages to our frontline COVID-19 workers
- PPE shipments seized by Border Force to protect Aussies
More than half of the 144 frontline NSW health workers struck down by coronavirus caught it at work, a parliamentary inquiry has been told.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said 82 health care employees appeared to have contracted COVID-19 in health facilities, including 49 in public hospitals.
There were 20 cases linked to primary healthcare facilities, 12 in private facilities and one in an interstate facility.
The data was revealed during a heated parliamentary committee hearing into the state government’s COVID-19 response that repeatedly descended into an online shouting match between the Health Minister Brad Hazzard and other MPs.
MORE NEWS
New data shows Bondi now coronavirus-free
Aussies to see three stage plan to reopen the economy
COVID-plagued Newmarch House appoints crisis manager
Mr Hazzard told the hearing that health staff had “overused” personal protective equipment in the early stages of the outbreak.
“Some frontline staff were using PPE in a way that wasn’t absolutely necessary,” Mr Hazzard said. “And so the limited amount of PPE that was available was being worn and, if you like, overused.”
The PPE usage rate has dropped following education campaigns, he said.
The parliamentary committee hearing repeatedly descended into a heated virtual shouting match, with Mr Hazzard trading personal barbs on screen with crossbench and Opposition MPs.
He took umbrage with Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party leader Robert Borsak when probed on the conduct of the Ruby Princess inquiry.
“Why were you happy to send Kelly-Anne Ressler into the (Bret) Walker inquiry to answer for your mistakes,” Mr Borsak asked, in reference to questioning Prime Minister Scott Morrison had previously described as “aggressive”.
“You know, you really have a problem,” Mr Hazzard said.
The minister said he was not involved in the independent inquiry, and that he backed NSW health staff “100 per cent”.
“I don’t think it pays to play politics, Mr Borsak. I prefer your colleagues … you need to take some lessons from some of your colleagues.”
“You’re hopeless,” Mr Borsak later said to Mr Hazzard.
“Like you Mr Borsak,” Mr Hazzard responded.
He also attacked Labor MPs for showing an “immaturity beyond imagination” for not backing the government’s COVID response.
Mr Hazzard refused to say if he would appear before the Ruby Princess inquiry if called, saying “that’s a hypothetical and I don’t propose to answer hypothetical questions”.
Meanwhile, Dr Chant said “extensive planning” had been done on minimising the spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships, prior to the Ruby Princess docking in Sydney.
“We’d learnt the lessons from the Diamond Princess,” she said. “I just want to reassure members that Health had actually done extensive planning for the contingency.”