CV and mad panic behaviour

[Macca37]

Was near the northern hospital today and counted 12 ambos in a row lined up waiting to drop patients off. Never seen that before and reckon the system is already bursting at the seems.

Those 4000 plus icu beds would have come in handy wouldn’t they. Instead if numbers predicated eventuate as you rightly point out we will pull further ahead in the longest lockdown place on earth regardless of vaccination numbers. The narrative like many aspects of this pandemic that we just need to get vaccinated to return to a normal life is another lie.

Disgusting to think these so called leaders had over 18 months to prepare the health system and as usual they do sfa but talk and then point the fingers elsewhere and find scapegoats at every opportunity when questioned. And while I’m venting the stupidity of federal government to announce that funding will cease once vaccination targets are met makes little sense unless for some reason they want the vaccination numbers to slow up.

It really doesn't matter how many beds and how much equipment you have if you do not have the staff.

I saw an interview with a public hospital specialist the other day who was asked a question relating to numbers of beds and staffing levels.  He said that each covid patient in ICU needed 24 hour attention by two covid trained nurses per shift - a total of six nurses working eight hour shifts. He added that the work was exhausting as the nurses also had to turn the patients in their beds.

He was asked about training and said that an experienced nurse needed an additional 12 months training to work in covid wards but because of the additional workload imposed on staff since covid patients began arriving in hospitals last year there was not enough time to set aside for training.

Another Melbourne public hospital specialist interviewed tonight said his colleagues in Sydney have told him the position is far worse in Sydney hospitals than the public is being told, and staff are exhausted.

Given our hospitals are following hard on the heels of those in NSW it is easy to imagine the collapse of public hospitals in both states when we open up and restrictions ease.