on 14-03-2020 11:47 PM
I heard on TV the other day that hospitals are gearing up for the pandemic and are not seeing people for selective surgeries etc. I was in the next room, so I was not sure if I misunderstood, and have not been able to find more about it. Anybody heard anything? I suppose to see a surgeon about my knee operation in couple of weeks.
I will try to call them on Monday, but it is not easy to get through in the best of times.
16-03-2020 04:45 AM - edited 16-03-2020 04:47 AM
@springyzone wrote:
@rogespeed wrote:
.
Ventilators ?
Supply is not a problem and cheaper by the hundreds....
https://www.made-in-china.com/products-search/hot-china-products/Ventilator.html
Even a covid-19 spec model for enfants - interesting as babies did not factor much in the offical stats
They are several thousand dollars each. I am not sure of the brands or what quality they are (I am not a medical expert) and they are from China so how quickly they would arrive, I don't know. Possibly not in the next week or two though.
Buyer's market at the moment - China can supply everything we need in bulk including experienced medical staff ( although Africa might be priority for them)
on 16-03-2020 08:21 AM
@chameleon54 wrote:
@chameleon54 wrote:
@davidc4430 wrote:
@chameleon54 wrote:
@davidc4430 wrote:
@chameleon54 wrote:
@martinw-48 wrote:what the PM didnt tell us was where hes going to find thousands of trained doctors and nurses ect to staff these places.
do we have lots of unemployed doctors and nurses ect just waiting for a call?
We have plenty of under employed doctors and nurses. My sister is a senior nurse who chooses to only work two days a week in her specialist field, but has extensive experience in emergency. My GP only works around twenty hours per week as he is nearing retirement. There would be tens of thousands of other staff like these all around the country.
As mentioned the PM has called on all recently retired or permanently " on leave " medical staff to register on a central data base to be called upon should they be needed. He specifically mentioned staff who may have moved out of the medical profession for other life choices such as woman parenting kids. The government has also put in place measures to cancel all medical staff leave if required. Considering most medical staff have 4 - 6 weeks leave per year, this immediately increases staffing availability by 10%. Add in a much tighter and more demanding rostering system and you could very easily lift staffing by 30%-40%. More draconian measures could see higher levels achieved.
Farmers regularly work 16 hour shifts, seven days a week during seeding and harvest periods lasting 6 - 8 weeks ( similar to the peak of a pandemic ) without too many issues with fatigue etc. Much longer than that and fatigue DOES become an issue. At the peak of a pandemic, medical staff could be rostered extensively under a state of emergency, staffing the extra hospitals. Would they like it ? probably not, but in an extreme emergency, similar to war, the public would get behind and support them and it could it be done.
you making a lot of asumtions
that you know of a nuse who chooses to work 2 days a week so there must be plenty of them right?
who knows, it could be hardly any.
and then they cant be forced to work.
then there are the 'made the choice to take care of their kids'
so you expect women who have young children to go to work in an enviroment where they may catch a serious virus?
a lot of if and ands, i realise medical people will often put themselves at risk for others but to demand it?
not on sir!
The states already have the power to " Demand it " under their state of emergency legislation. Each state is different, but I have included a link to Victoria's legislation. ( Victoria has ALREADY declared the COVID - 19 virus a state of emergency ). If you follow it through and click further links in the legislation you will find the Government already has legislative power to force medical staff currently under employment to work when they are told and for as long as they are told.
This legislation over rides any work place agreements or existing legislation applicable in non state of emergency situations. Basically in a state of emergency the nominated government minister has full control over all existing public servants, including over riding their personal liberty even if in contravention with their constituational rights. ie. The state of emergency legislation over rides the constituational rights of the individual..
http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/ema1986190/s24.html
If you want to check it out and verify that what I have posted is correct, look to section S.24 (2) (c) part 3, section A & B
Section "B" shows how a state of emergency over rides any other laws.
The legislation defines a " government agency " as follows (c) any person in the service of the Crown in the right of the State of Victoria upon whom any function, power, duty or responsibility is conferred by or under any Act;
The State clearly already has the power to " demand it " ( medical staff to work when instructed regardless of whether it suits them or not ) and may need to excercise these powers to staff any new emergency facilities opened to manage the COVID - 19 crisis.
I rest my case.....
Are all medically trained staff in the service of the Crown???
I'm not interested in politics and wouldn't know left from right or what a socialist is so I skipped all that bit. I'm not arguing about anything and I'm not particularly concerned about the virus.
16-03-2020 08:48 AM - edited 16-03-2020 08:49 AM
Are all medically trained staff in the service of the government ???
Only those currently employed by the government including those on long service and parental leave. It is these people the government minister could theoretically instruct to work 12 hour shifts seven days a week.
Will it happen, almost certainly not, but some states have already started down that path by cancelling all planned leave for medical staff. The more likely scenario is that government will work with the unions to find a more co-operative way to encourage medical staff to work extra shifts, along with calling on those who have the qualifications, but have left the work force to consider re-entering the profession for a short while, no doubt with very attractive remuneration.
The basic point is, there is plenty of slack in the current medical staffing regime that can be called upon, or demanded to staff extra COVID - 19 emergency facilities if the need arises. Everyone will be looking for a co-operative way to manage it, but it can be demanded ( similar to national service conscription in war ) if required.
on 16-03-2020 09:04 AM
on 16-03-2020 09:20 AM
@chameleon54 wrote:Are all medically trained staff in the service of the government ???
Only those currently employed by the government including those on long service and parental leave. It is these people the government minister could theoretically instruct to work 12 hour shifts seven days a week.
Will it happen, almost certainly not, but some states have already started down that path by cancelling all planned leave for medical staff. The more likely scenario is that government will work with the unions to find a more co-operative way to encourage medical staff to work extra shifts, along with calling on those who have the qualifications, but have left the work force to consider re-entering the profession for a short while, no doubt with very attractive remuneration.
The basic point is, there is plenty of slack in the current medical staffing regime that can be called upon, or demanded to staff extra COVID - 19 emergency facilities if the need arises. Everyone will be looking for a co-operative way to manage it, but it can be demanded ( similar to national service conscription in war ) if required.
Where's the guarantee all of these medical people are ' fit enough ' to undergo 12 hour shifts.
Where's the guarantee if there are dependents - those dependents will be taken care of while the 'medicos ' work.
16-03-2020 10:21 AM - edited 16-03-2020 10:22 AM
Medical staff working 12+ hours are bound to make mistakes too. I know that young doctors are required to work long hours, but is not always super busy for the whole shift, or not every shift. It's bad in emergency Friday an Saturday night, then Sunday might be easier. This is going to be extraordinarily busy and stressful at all times.
Anyway, I just spent over an hour trying to ring our hospital appointments number, and it's busy........ There is NOTHING on their website. They could also email all people with appointments and say "in this moment we are still going on as scheduled" or "due to the state of emergency declared by our state government we are suspending any elective procedures till further notice". I feel sorry for the staff having to answer the phone.
on 16-03-2020 10:36 AM
@domino-710 wrote:
@chameleon54 wrote:Are all medically trained staff in the service of the government ???
Only those currently employed by the government including those on long service and parental leave. It is these people the government minister could theoretically instruct to work 12 hour shifts seven days a week.
Will it happen, almost certainly not, but some states have already started down that path by cancelling all planned leave for medical staff. The more likely scenario is that government will work with the unions to find a more co-operative way to encourage medical staff to work extra shifts, along with calling on those who have the qualifications, but have left the work force to consider re-entering the profession for a short while, no doubt with very attractive remuneration.
The basic point is, there is plenty of slack in the current medical staffing regime that can be called upon, or demanded to staff extra COVID - 19 emergency facilities if the need arises. Everyone will be looking for a co-operative way to manage it, but it can be demanded ( similar to national service conscription in war ) if required.
Where's the guarantee all of these medical people are ' fit enough ' to undergo 12 hour shifts.
Where's the guarantee if there are dependents - those dependents will be taken care of while the 'medicos ' work.
There is no guarantee, just as there is no guarantee that soldiers sent to war under conscription will have their families taken care of............ You just don't seem to get it........ If this pandemic really turns nasty ( and it could ) peoples " Rights " go out the window and the government will do what ever it has to in order to manage the situation. In case you havnt noticed, its already happening with planned leave for medical staff already cancelled in some states and restrictions placed on people gathering in large groups. It is highly likely that this is not the end of changes and further restrictions on peoples " rights " and liberty will almost certianly take effect.
As for "medical staff working rolling 12 hour shifts will make mistakes ". Yes of course some will make mistakes, but having them in hospitals making the right decisions 99.9 % of the time is far more effective than having contagious people or their near family members wandering around the shops buying toilet paper because there are no hospital beds for them.
on 16-03-2020 11:00 AM
@brerrabbit585 wrote:
@chameleon54 wrote:
@chameleon54 wrote:
@davidc4430 wrote:
@chameleon54 wrote:
@davidc4430 wrote:
@chameleon54 wrote:
@martinw-48 wrote:what the PM didnt tell us was where hes going to find thousands of trained doctors and nurses ect to staff these places.
do we have lots of unemployed doctors and nurses ect just waiting for a call?
We have plenty of under employed doctors and nurses. My sister is a senior nurse who chooses to only work two days a week in her specialist field, but has extensive experience in emergency. My GP only works around twenty hours per week as he is nearing retirement. There would be tens of thousands of other staff like these all around the country.
As mentioned the PM has called on all recently retired or permanently " on leave " medical staff to register on a central data base to be called upon should they be needed. He specifically mentioned staff who may have moved out of the medical profession for other life choices such as woman parenting kids. The government has also put in place measures to cancel all medical staff leave if required. Considering most medical staff have 4 - 6 weeks leave per year, this immediately increases staffing availability by 10%. Add in a much tighter and more demanding rostering system and you could very easily lift staffing by 30%-40%. More draconian measures could see higher levels achieved.
Farmers regularly work 16 hour shifts, seven days a week during seeding and harvest periods lasting 6 - 8 weeks ( similar to the peak of a pandemic ) without too many issues with fatigue etc. Much longer than that and fatigue DOES become an issue. At the peak of a pandemic, medical staff could be rostered extensively under a state of emergency, staffing the extra hospitals. Would they like it ? probably not, but in an extreme emergency, similar to war, the public would get behind and support them and it could it be done.
you making a lot of asumtions
that you know of a nuse who chooses to work 2 days a week so there must be plenty of them right?
who knows, it could be hardly any.
and then they cant be forced to work.
then there are the 'made the choice to take care of their kids'
so you expect women who have young children to go to work in an enviroment where they may catch a serious virus?
a lot of if and ands, i realise medical people will often put themselves at risk for others but to demand it?
not on sir!
The states already have the power to " Demand it " under their state of emergency legislation. Each state is different, but I have included a link to Victoria's legislation. ( Victoria has ALREADY declared the COVID - 19 virus a state of emergency ). If you follow it through and click further links in the legislation you will find the Government already has legislative power to force medical staff currently under employment to work when they are told and for as long as they are told.
This legislation over rides any work place agreements or existing legislation applicable in non state of emergency situations. Basically in a state of emergency the nominated government minister has full control over all existing public servants, including over riding their personal liberty even if in contravention with their constituational rights. ie. The state of emergency legislation over rides the constituational rights of the individual..
http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/ema1986190/s24.html
If you want to check it out and verify that what I have posted is correct, look to section S.24 (2) (c) part 3, section A & B
Section "B" shows how a state of emergency over rides any other laws.
The legislation defines a " government agency " as follows (c) any person in the service of the Crown in the right of the State of Victoria upon whom any function, power, duty or responsibility is conferred by or under any Act;
The State clearly already has the power to " demand it " ( medical staff to work when instructed regardless of whether it suits them or not ) and may need to excercise these powers to staff any new emergency facilities opened to manage the COVID - 19 crisis.
I rest my case.....
Are all medically trained staff in the service of the Crown???
I'm not interested in politics and wouldn't know left from right or what a socialist is so I skipped all that bit. I'm not arguing about anything and I'm not particularly concerned about the virus.
The flip side of having your education paid for or partially paid for by the Govt and/or also being employed by the public service.
Then regardless of public or private service there is the Australian "fair go" culture which would expect appropriate support by those qualified in the time of crisis, which is defined by the requirement of addressing the "fair go" for patients in critical need., the " fair go" universal expectation of timely and effective medical care
on 16-03-2020 11:27 AM
on 16-03-2020 11:32 AM
LOL - ain't that the truth.
I'm wealthier today than yesterday.
I invited 5 friends over for a dinner of soup & french loaves.
Entry was a toot roll.
Entertainment was on the house.
I'm back up to 5.