Victoria’s second wave was like watching a ‘slow car crash’
Australia’s peak medical body says seeing Victoria’s second wave grow was like watching “slow car crash”, with the group’s president also slamming the state government’s response to the pandemic.
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Victoria’s second wave has been described as like watching a “slow car crash” by Australia’s peak medical body.
In a damning submission to a parliamentary probe into Victoria’s handling of the pandemic Australian Medical Association president Julian Rait raised concerns with hotel quarantine, inept public health messaging and the lack of transparency and said medical professionals were shocked watching the mismanagement and the rise of infections in the second wave.
“The situation in Victoria has deteriorated dramatically,” Associate professor Rait wrote.
“One senior AMA Victoria figure recently stated that it has been like witnessing a ‘slow car crash’.”
”By far the largest problem in the past few months has been Victoria’s mismanagement of its hotel quarantine system.
“It appears that flaws in Victoria’s hotel quarantine system may be the main driver of the high number of cases of community transmission currently occurring in Victoria.
“This mismanagement is one of the most disappointing aspects of the state government’s response to the pandemic.”
Professor Rait also took aim at the government’s lack of transparency and attempts to wash their hands of the matter.
“Many AMA Victoria members have questioned whether good governance has underpinned the Victorian Government’s response to the pandemic and whether the right structure is in place moving forward” Professor Rait wrote.
“In March 2020, the State Control Centre was activated to oversee and co-ordinate Victoria’s
response to the pandemic, but we rarely hear from the Emergency Management Commissioner,
nor are daily press conferences held in the State Control Centre.
“It appears that the Premier Daniel Andrews and his cabinet, make the decisions, supported by advice from the DHHS.”
In the submission Professor Rait also renewed the call for a Royal Commission to avoid future mess ups and also that Victoria’s current structure be reviewed
It comes as Premier Daniel Andrews continues to deny knowledge of what went wrong with the hotel quarantine program and sidestepping questions of who was to blame for the bungled program.