RDH medical staff now ‘encouraged’ to wear masks while on shift

ROYAL Darwin Hospital staff working in clinical areas are being ‘encouraged’ to wear masks on shift in a bid to stop the possible transmission of COVID-19 within the hospital and wider community.

ROYAL Darwin Hospital staff working in clinical areas are being “encouraged” to wear masks on shift in a bid to stop the possible transmission of COVID-19 within the hospital and wider community.

Visitors are now also being asked to bring their own mask to wear.

The new rules came into effect on September 1.

A letter sent to staff explaining the changes outlines the outbreaks in Victorian and Tasmanian hospitals as examples of where the spread of COVID-19 had had a huge impact on staff.

“While we do not currently have any active cases in the NT, we have seen the effects of the spread through hospitals in Tasmania and Victoria,” the email states.

“We need to ensure that we are prepared so that we can keep our workers COVID-safe. We need to do everything we can to prevent COVID-19 in our hospitals.”

RDH medical workers are being asked to wear a mask while on shift in an effort to reduce any potential risk of the spread of COVID-19. Picture: Che Chorley

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The practice of wearing masks is not compulsory, but is encouraged by management.

The email also assures staff that they are managing supplies of masks and other PPE equipment, though it asks medical professionals to “use PPE appropriately”.

Australian Medical Association president Robert Parker welcomed the initiative.

Dr Parker did not think the encouragement of mask-wearing should have been implemented earlier given there was no spread of coronavirus in the Territory.

He also said new studies out of the US had proven masks to be successful in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

“Given the high rate of infection of workers in other parts of Australia there could be a case of a superspreader, and then all of a sudden we have 20 workers down. It (wearing masks) is not a bad idea, to be frank,” he said.

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Concerns raised by hospital staff about the loss of non-verbal communication as a result of the mask were brushed aside by Dr Parker, who said it was a very “minor aspect”.

The Health Department did not respond to a request for comment.