11-07-2021, 02:55 PM
(11-07-2021, 12:25 PM)DJC link Wrote:So, a senior intensive care physician at one hospital has a better take on the overall COVID numbers in ICUs than the Health Department? Give me a break!I have a large representation of my family and extended family in the medical system and I'll respectfully disagree.....I'm not a Labor or LNP voter either and have stated that previously although I am happy to applaud Andrews and his crew when they find the 1.3 billion which was promised for those 4000 ICU beds and training of staff etc..
For a start, public and private hospital employees may only speak to the media with permission. To do otherwise requires anonymity. That's not Government deterring staff from speaking out, it's standard media management that dates back to the Kennett years when it comes to public hospitals, and even longer in the case of private hospitals;
I have family and friends in the public and private health systems and half of the folk in my neighbourhood are surgeons working in Geelong and Melbourne. They consistently state that, while our health system is under-funded and under stress, it is coping very well with the additional burden of COVID cases taking up ICU beds.
And for a first hand account of what it's like in an ICU with COVID patients:
In July this year, opposition health spokesperson, Georgie Crozier, criticised the Victorian Government for increasing ICU and critical care beds from 499 (ICU) beds in July 2020 to 1606, arguing that we would never need that many. Aren't you glad that the LNP aren't in charge of our health system?

