More than 1300 Victorian aged-care homes left to rely on federal PPE stocks
Questions have been raised over the preparedness of Victoria’s aged care sector to deal with deadly COVID-19 outbreaks at homes across Melbourne, amid claims of insufficient PPE at some facilities.
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Questions have been raised over the preparedness of aged-care facilities to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks after seven elderly Victorians linked to outbreaks died on Sunday.
Following claims of insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) at some aged-care homes, the Herald Sun can reveal more than 1300 providers had asked for access to federal PPE stocks by May.
In responses given last week to the COVID select committee, the Department of Health asserted facilities “should have sufficient levels on hand” and so no official audit was conducted to assess them.
“Providers have responsibility to source supplies of personal protective equipment and should have sufficient levels on hand for any infectious outbreak,” the answer read.
“This, along with stock management, should be part of a provider’s emergency management plan.”
But it also revealed that by May 8, 1346 residential aged-care or home-care service providers had lodged stock requests with the federal authorities for PPE.
Labor spokeswoman on ageing Julie Collins said the high number showed the government should have known centres were unprepared.
“In the critical weeks leading up to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Victorian nursing homes, why didn’t the Morrison Government and the aged-care regulator do more to protect older Australians?” Ms Collins said.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said access to the sought-after PPE had been offered since March as part of a “national approach”.
“The commonwealth and Victorian government continue to work together to dispatch PPE to support Victorian aged-care providers and care recipients,” Mr Colbeck said.
More than 1.6 million masks and respirators had been provided to Victorian authorities since March, he said.
The Victorian Aged Care Response Centre will be launched on Monday to co-ordinate managing the impact of the pandemic and deal with the more than 550 active cases now linked to facilities.
Distressed family members gathered outside the entrance of St Basil’s facility in Fawkner on Sunday, where dozens of cases have emerged.
Spiros Dimitriou’s father, John, tested positive a week ago and remained in the home on a ventilator.
Mr Dimitriou and his family had been trying to contact the home to find out the 75-year-old’s condition. “I got a phone call on Friday saying that Dad’s going to pass away, that he wasn’t going to make it. He’s still in there,” he said. “It sounded like he was on his deathbed.”
Premier Daniel Andrews said all deaths in care had the potential for review by the Coroner.
“As for individual operators and providers of aged care, obviously they have to be accountable for what they have or haven’t done,” he said.
At least one private hospital in Melbourne was from Monday closing its doors to patients to make way for aged-care residents believed to be COVID-19 positive.
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