Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says Territorians don’t have confidence their safety is the Gunner Government’s number one priority when Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AUSMAT) is forced to hand over full control of the Howard Springs quarantine facility to NT Health, in less than two weeks.
“We currently have a successful, gold-standard system in place when it comes to managing repatriated Australians. That’s under the professional care of the AUSMAT model through the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre.
“To scrap this system, which has so far ensured the Territory has the enviable title of no community transmission of COVID-19, is foolish. Why make significant changes and move to an untested single-governance model at this point of the global pandemic?
“It’s alarming that NT Health has only been able to source 70 of the 400 people needed – including specialist medical professionals – to run the expanded Howard Springs facility from the 3rd of May. That’s less than two weeks away. This facility presents the greatest risk of COVID getting out into the Territory community and we have grave concerns it will be understaffed, or staffed by under qualified people.
Shadow Minister for National Resilience, Gerard Maley, says the May deadline is looming and the Gunner Labor Government has neither the experience nor the staff to manage this transition.
“The only reason Labor is pushing so hard for full control is the vast amounts of funding from the Federal Government to prop up our annihilated economy. Why is the Chief Minister prepared to put profits ahead of public safety in a desperate attempt to buoy the Territory’s budget?
“We know Health is already struggling to fill six surgeon vacancies at Royal Darwin Hospital and now the Emergency Department at Katherine Hospital will be overseen by a virtual specialist because of ongoing recruitment issues. As a priority, we need to ensure we have a robust health system that works efficiently before we stretch ourselves even thinner,” said Mr Maley.