The next wave of coronavirus is severely impacting hospitals in Victoria, with elective surgeries at major hospitals deferred.
The Alfred cancelled scheduled surgeries on Monday before announcing they were putting procedures on pause for a week.
Royal Melbourne Hospital followed, saying: “Some category three surgeries have been deferred … We are reviewing this on a daily basis.”
It comes as 1635 workers in the public hospital system are furloughed right now, off due to COVID-19, putting further strain on the hospital system.
The expensive private system is no alternative for the community’s most vulnerable – like eight-year-old Ryker, who has needed dental surgery for three years.
“I don’t know what else to do … or who else to talk to or to call, because no-one listens,” mum Sky Chamberlain told 9News.
It’s not just emergency wards or elective surgery departments that are feeling the squeeze, maternity wards are also impacted.
“We are having a staffing crisis, about three quarters of the maternity services are short staffed,” midwife Robyn Matthews told 9News.
“We’re looking to provide more flexible arrangements for them, so working shorter shifts and working the hours they want to work,” Nicole Carlon from Northern Health told 9News.
Ambulance Victoria is also under significant strain once again, battling a combination of an increase in patients and a shortage of staff due to COVID-19.
The paramedics service was forced to announce a Code Orange around 10.30pm on Tuesday, which meant they only had enough staff to attend serious emergencies only.
“An orange escalation indicates an incident, workload or demand is having a major impact on our usual response capability,” according to the Ambulance Victoria website.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson told 9News: “The health system continues to experience ongoing demand and staff furlough issues.”
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Ambulance Victoria’s 125 currently furloughed staff is compared to just 30 who were furloughed in October.
The Code Orange was called off this morning.
Ambulance Victoria has reminded people “to save triple zero for emergencies to ensure the sickest Victorians receive life-saving care”.
It also has about 120 staff furloughed due to COVID-19.
Victorian Health Minster Mary-Anne Thomas conceded the state’s health system is under significant strain, while speaking to media this morning.
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“Our health system is under real pressure as we live through another wave of the COVID-19 wave,” she said.
Thomas said the situation was not unique to Victoria though, with other Australian states and territories feeling the same pressure.
She said the government had delivered measures in response to the current challenges, including opening respiratory-focused GP clinics.
Thomas fronted the media to announce the state government is putting $25 million into 10 metropolitan health services and community health services and two Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations as part of the latest round of health grants.
