Australia Post changes see blow out in delivery times for essential medical supplies
A Corio retiree relying on Australia Post delivery of crucial medical supplies says there needs to be a better system of parcel delivery for vulnerable people after regularly being left waiting a week later than usual to receive his items.
Geelong
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A Corio retiree who waited a week later than usual for an Australia Post delivery of crucial medical supplies says there needs to be a better system of parcel delivery.
Peter Berry, 65, said it was unacceptable people had to wait for supplies that could not be sourced in required amounts from chemists and hospitals.
“The people who are the most vulnerable, like myself, should be looked after more and appreciated,” Mr Berry said.
In August, Mr Berry — faced with a blowout in the delivery time for the monthly supply of stoma bags he needs as a result of a medical procedure — attempted to use Band-Aids and other adhesives to extend the life of the bags that stick to his body.
“There is no chemist that will stock stoma bags (in the quantity I need),” he said.
“I put my order in by the 20th of each month and it is delivered about the 5th of the next month.
“But now the deliveries are sometimes coming in on the 10th or 12th of the month.”
Mr Berry said that in August he desperately rang chemists and hospitals to source stoma bags, but without success.
“I am blaming the federal government. They control the purse strings of Australia Post,” he said. Mr Berry estimated 5000 people in the Geelong region received deliveries of stoma bags.
Due to a steep rise in the number of parcel deliveries caused by COVID-19, Australia Post has changed mail deliveries to households to every second day.
An Australia Post spokesman said COVID-safe restrictions were still hampering the mail delivery.
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“While Australia Post has built significant capacity into the network, compliance with social distancing and COVID-safe restrictions mean that while the network is running as fast as it can, we are unfortunately experiencing delays, particularly in Victoria” he said.
“We are prioritising known medical supplies and we recently extended our pharmacy home-delivery service to over 24,000 vulnerable Australians during the pandemic from over 1800 pharmacies.”
The spokesman said suburbs serviced by the North Geelong and Grovedale delivery centres would have letters and parcels delivered every second day until June 2021.
Federal Labor member for Corio Richard Marles said: “Peter relies on the delivery of critical healthcare products for his health condition.
“Yet, Australia Post has cut their delivery days because the Morrison government didn’t see it fit that Geelong and other regional towns should continue with regular service, as a cost-cutting measure.”
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Originally published as Australia Post changes see blow out in delivery times for essential medical supplies