The growing COVID epidemic in western New South Wales has highlighted the vulnerability of rural healthcare systems.
Staff from Sydney hospitals will be deployed to some regional hospitals to assist with the outbreak. Still, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia says this will not solve the "critical shortage" of country medical staff and is calling for urgent changes to border closure rules to allow for fly-in, fly-out workers.
This week, up to 150 Western NSW Local Health District (LHD) employees were placed on leave due to possible coronavirus infection, forcing them into mandatory isolation.
According to the LHD, their absence meant that 40 patients would be unable to get treatment.
By Friday, the number of people on leave had fallen to 80, but LHD chief executive Scott McLachlan said the region's caseload — now approaching 500 — meant resources from other areas were required.
He confirmed that the uni does have some extra personnel arriving from Sydney early next week, and they'll be instrumental, especially in Bathurst and Dubbo.
He added that they’d be looking for more employees in Bourke in the coming weeks.
Healthcare workers from other areas of the LHD may be summoned over the weekend as major hospitals begin to feel the strain of the growing epidemic.
Despite the COVID crisis in Sydney, which has seen ambulances backed up at major hospitals unable to unload patients, Mr McLachlan said the personnel would be pulled from there to help in the areas.
Mr. McLachlan said that there are still areas of Sydney with capacity, and I know there are personnel ready to come and help in the region.
There are a lot of beds, but there aren't enough staff to manage them.
According to the LHD's 2020-25 Critical Care Framework, 31 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 11 ventilation beds were available at Dubbo, Bathurst, and Orange hospitals last year.
The ABC has learned that capacity has subsequently been increased.
If necessary, NSW Health claimed it could double the state's 500 ICU beds, with ventilators available for each.
According to the LHD, the Dubbo Health Service, which is caring for 12 of the region's 15 hospital patients, "is well prepared and can scale upward and critical care capacity if needed."
They added that in most instances, individuals with COVID-19 can be cared for properly at home.
Border regulations must be changed immediately due to an 'urgent necessity.'
According to the Rural Doctors Association of Australia president John Hall, Border restrictions are exacerbating the medical personnel crisis in rural areas, and the national Cabinet has to look at a mechanism for cross-border health professionals immediately.
Dr. Hall said they have severe shortages in western NSW — areas like Lightning Ridge and Walgett — where they have rosters that are genuinely on edge, and they need that fly in, fly out labour, and it has simply dried up.
He said that so far, what they've seen with these border limitations is the difficulty to transfer personnel across state boundaries, which means that some of these rosters will be impossible to be filled in the future.
They’re talking about hospitals falling off the grid and towns going without physicians.
Some COVID patients from the state's west have been transported to Sydney, and other major cities, including a lady, evacuated from Broken Hill to Royal Adelaide Hospital on Wednesday.
Dr. Hall said that more physicians were required in rural regions to supplement hospital personnel fighting the COVID epidemic and for typical day-to-day treatment and other medical requirements of small communities.
Dr. Hall said that they’ve spoken to NSW Health and the Local Health Districts. As a result, there is a desire to expend funds to assist more physicians.
The issue is getting physicians to where they are needed.
Public health is being defended.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro reacted angrily to allegations that rural health care receives little money or assistance.
Mr. Barilaro said that they have adequate staffing numbers, indeed record staffing levels throughout NSW in the hospital system.
He also said that hundreds of frontline health professionals are isolated every day in Sydney; that is what happens in a pandemic; there is no business as usual.
He added that they have to send personnel to the areas to cover such issues.
However, the notion that they haven't financed [enough] is just false.
He recognised the "stress" and "dire" conditions in the west. However, he later emphasised the 2,000 ventilators bought last year to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
He clarified that they are not overloaded. That is why they have adopted a cautious approach, shutting down the areas to ensure that they do not get overwhelmed.
Mr. Barilaro said that they’re ready to keep up with what's going on in the Central West, the Western NSW Local Health District, the Far West, and the rest of the state.
