Vic healthcare workers plead for lockdown extension

Major health unions say the state government must keep Victoria locked down longer – even if it means going against the nation’s 80 per cent vaccination threshold.

Doctors, nurses, paramedics and hospital chiefs are building pressure on health officials to maintain Covid lockdown measures over fears the state’s health system will be overrun.

On Friday there were 208 Victorians in hospital with Covid, including 49 in ICU and 32 on ventilators. But Department of Health projections forecast a quadrupling to 800 hospitalised Covid patients by mid October.

Senior hospital sources have told the Saturday Herald Sun they fear that number could rise far higher if lockdown restrictions are eased too quickly.

Sources have also confirmed Victoria’s public health team is being lobbied by hospital chiefs wanting restrictions extended at the same time they face pressure from governments to ease restrictions.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick (middle) says it is “absolutely critical” Victoria does not open up too early. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

As Premier Daniel Andrews prepares to release Victoria’s long-awaited road map out of lockdown on Sunday, major health unions also united on Friday to warn against opening up too early – even if that means going against the nation’s 80 per cent vaccination threshold.

Although Victoria is still on course to hit 800 hospitalised Covid patients in four weeks’

time, Department of Health Deputy Secretary Jodie Geissler told the Saturday Herald Sun non-Covid health services could continue at those levels.

But Ms Geissler said it was not known how many further cases the health system could accept before other areas of care were compromised, and she understood why some health workers feared the 80 per cent vaccination reopening milestone.

“They are very valid concerns to hold,” Ms Geissler said.

“Their job is to protect patients and the community, so I think that is fair on their part to hold that position.”

The Royal Melbourne Hospital opened a second specialist Covid ward last week.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said it was “absolutely critical” the state did not open up too early.

“It’s not about getting on the beers too early because there won’t be beers to be had while you’re in hospital in an ICU bed,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.

The AMA’s Victorian branch President, Roderick McRae, said hospitals were already “stressed” as healthcare staff worked overtime hours and without leave to make up for furloughed workers.

But Australian Industry Group Victoria branch head Tim Piper said the concerns raised by unions weren’t reflective of the entire health sector.

“It’s not just one area of health that we need to consider. From a mental health perspective, people need to know when we’re going to get out of this pickle,” he said.

“Businesses are running out of puff. We’re running on empty.”

There are fears the number of Covid patients will rise if lockdown restrictions are eased too quickly. Picture: David Caird

Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief executive Felicia Mariani said the industry was “anxiously awaiting” Sunday’s roadmap.

“We’ve reached a point now where some decisions have to be made in terms of how we balance the health risks with the economic risks, but also the mental health risks that are also severely impacting our communities.”

Having turned its infectious disease unit into a dedicated Covid unit a month ago, The Royal Melbourne Hospital opened a second specialist Covid ward last week.

This week it had to open a third, and infectious disease physician Kasha Singh said a fourth would have to open next week as the hospital already had 62 Covid patients.

Having admitted 150 infected patients in the past eight weeks and another 50 as in hospital in the home cases, The RMH has also established an air sealed 20-bed Covid ICU.

“As the community numbers go up hospitalisation will go continue to go up,” Dr Singh said.

“We are being stretched, we are all getting pretty tired.”

Rather than just coping with people coming into hospital specifically for Covid symptoms, hospitals are now dealing with patients presenting for pregnancy, appendicitis and kidney issues – who unwittingly also have the virus and force hundreds of staff to isolate.

The Northern Hospital was treating 56 Covid patients on Friday including seven in ICU – but monitoring a further 1500 cases in the community.

With about one in 10 of those cases likely to need admission in the coming weeks, Northern Health Chief Operating Officer Debra Bourne said Covid capacity would rise further next week.

“It is a challenging conversation to have about easing off restrictions.

“We certainly get there is a balance about providing that wellbeing for our community, both mentally and economically while juggling the needs of health services.”

In recent days The Alfred has dedicated a further 20 ICU beds to Covid patients so it can cope with an expected rise in demand, though ICU director Assoc Prof Steve McGloughlin said finding highly qualified staff if numbers grew too high was more difficult.