Gold Coast fires: Increase in hospital admissions, animals at risk

The Gold Coast is already copping the aftermath of a horror start to the bushfire season, with emergency rooms and animal hospitals both packed with victims of the devastation.

THE Gold Coast is already copping the aftermath of a horror start to the bushfire season, with emergency rooms and animal hospitals both packed with victims of the devastation.

Gold Coast doctor, and state chair of Doctors for the Environment Dr Beau Frigault, said the Coast public hospitals were seeing a rise in people, particularly children, presenting for respiratory problems.

“It certainly makes emergency departments very busy and it means patients are waiting a lot longer,” he said.

“If you’re a fit, well young person then the impact is probably fairly minimal, you might feel your eyes or nose might be a bit irritated, but if you’re already a vulnerable person who has those types of conditions already that can send you to the hospital.”

The Gold Coast’s public hospitals are seeing an increase in respiratory problems as bushfires continue to rage. Picture: Sue Lappeman

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Dr Frigault said there was a clear link to climate change that was “making our other problems worse”.

“The best way to address human health issues is to address the source,” he said.

“We know climate change is creating a place where these things are happening more frequently and with greater severity, from our perspective we don’t want to have to be treating people for something that is preventable, and we have a public healthcare system where there is a big financial cost of needing to treat people who are affected.”

Meanwhile the city’s largest animal hospital is also seeing a rise in admissions.

Dr Michael Pyne from Currumbin Wildlife Hospital said since the Sarabah bushfires began in September, an extra 200 animals a month have begun pouring through the doors.

“That’s significant, it’s about 25 per cent more for us, in an already busy time of year with breeding season,” he said.

Koalas are among the animals being brought in from the bushfires and dry weather. Picture: Supplied

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“We’re doing about 50 a day at the moment.”

“After the (Sarabah) fires in September we had gliders coming in burnt, we had a few kookaburras, some water dragons, it was a big range but more koalas than anything.

“We don’t get many direct from the fires but we get a lot from the fringe of the fires because of the general dry weather or they’re being pushed out and being dispersed in other areas.”

Dr Pyne said dry conditions were creating the worst food problems he’d seen in the 19 years of his career.

“I’ve not seen animals coming in just starving before, this is something new. It’s frightening,” he said.

Jalu the koala from NSW bushfires with Currumbin Wildlife Hospital vet nurse Natasha Graham. Picture: Supplied

“We’re used to seeing trauma, orphaned, injured animals … but these are otherwise healthy animals starving.”

The wildlife hospital is also playing host to some koalas from across the border, who were injured in the bushfires raging in NSW.

Jalu, who was found in a burnt out tree at Wardell with burns to his paws.

Jalu was rescued with burnt paws from NSW bushfires at Wardell and bought to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital for treatment. Picture: Supplied

Locals can help to support Currumbin Wildlife Hospital by donating petrol cards or cash through the organisation’s online wishlist.

Fires continue to burn in the hinterland, with crews monitoring the blazes within containment lines.

Fire conditions eased around the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim yesterday ((FRI)) with a “very high” fire danger again today.

Temperatures are expected to soar as high as 35C at Nerang today, with tomorrow ((SUN)) also warm with tops of 32C.

Rain, up to 5mm, is predicted for the Coast tomorrow though it isn’t expected to quench the dry conditions.