Labor fails to protect frontline health workers

Victorian doctors aren’t being supplied adequate protective equipment and are being forced to steal masks or buy their own, according to reports today.

For public hospital staff not to have the basics provided and to be put at risk like this, is simply unacceptable.  How can Victorians have confidence in the Andrews Labor Government to manage this pandemic when it won’t even protect frontline healthcare workers?

Respiratory and infectious disease doctors at the Alfred hospital have requested specialised N95 masks for when they assess and care for infected patients on the Alfred’s COVID-19 ward, but have instead only been given standard surgical masks.

They’re left with no option but to steal specialised masks from other areas of the hospital or pay for their own.

There are currently 400 health workers with the virus in Victoria and many more are in self-isolation.

The Andrews Labor Government must make our hardworking health staff a priority.  They are risking their lives to care for Victorians who have fallen ill because COVID-19 was allowed out into the community, through Labor’s bungled hotel quarantine program.

Comments attributable to Shadow Minster for Health, Georgie Crozier:

“The Andrews Labor Government’s failure to provide all public healthcare staff with proper protection gear is not only a disgrace, it is dangerous.  Daniel Andrews must rectify this immediately, especially as it was his governments bungled hotel quarantine program which led to this second wave.

“Frontline workers are risking their lives every day. The least the Andrews Labor Government can do for them, is supply proper protective equipment.

“How on earth can Victorians have confidence in Labor to manage this pandemic when they won’t even protect hospital workers?”