Resilient health and ambulance staff put patients first

From helping mothers give birth while Cyclone Debbie raged to responding to emergencies in the community during the eye of the cyclone, more than 2000 Queensland Health and Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) staff did not let a natural disaster get in the way of their life-saving work. 

Health and Ambulance Service Minister Cameron Dick has travelled to Proserpine, Bowen, Collinsville and Mackay to thank a number of the staff who worked during and after the cyclone, some away from family and friends.

Queensland Health (QH) Director General Michael Walsh, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young, QAS Commissioner Russell Bowles and Mackay Hospital and Health Service (MHHS) Board Chair Tim Mulherin and Chief Executive Jo Whitehead joined the Minister in thanking staff and inspecting infrastructure.

“In travelling through impacted communities and speaking to staff, I have witnessed the resolve and resilience of staff who worked in trying conditions,” Mr Dick said.

“The experiences these dedicated QH and QAS staff have shared with me have been nothing short of inspirational.

“Some staff went to the extraordinary effort of bringing their families to the hospital so they could work lengthy shifts, rather than staying home.

“We made sure we did everything we could to support them. As of April 4, QH has deployed 147 additional staff to the Mackay HHS region from around Queensland, with another 36 planned for deployment next week. All Hospital and Health Services being amazingly generous in meeting all requests for assistance.

“Unfortunately, the impacts of Cyclone Debbie are still continuing, particularly in Logan and Rockhampton.

“But Queenslanders can rest assured that across the state, QH and QAS staff are banding together to put patient care above everything else, even cyclones.”

Mr Walsh said the department had been working tirelessly with their Hospital and Health Services to keep their patients and employees in hospitals and facilities safe.

“We have deployed critical work teams, including emergency care, intensive care, midwifery, pharmacy, radiography, kitchen staff and orderlies, public health teams, and also Building, Engineering and Maintenance Services (BEMS),” Mr Walsh said.

“When natural disasters strike our community, we are fortunate to also have a team of volunteer Community Recovery Ready Reserve from Queensland Health to further assist the recovery.

“During this time, many employees have worked tirelessly to continue delivering our essential services to Queensland and I thank them for their dedication during this challenging phase.”

Dr Young reiterated the public health messaging that staff have been communicating throughout the response and recovery. 

“People now need to focus on remaining safe during clean up, including paying rapid attention to any wounds, follow council instructions regarding disposal of asbestos and don’t forget to use sunscreen and insect repellents,” Dr Young said.

“During emergencies, people use up more emotional energy than they realise, putting themselves into a survival state to deal with problems and cope with fear and frustration, but this level of energy cannot be maintained and it is important in the coming days, weeks and months for Queenslanders to take care of their mental health.

“Queensland Health offers plenty of useful advice to help deal with stress, anxiety, fear and depression but there are also plenty of organisations set up specifically to help the community.”

Mr Bowles thanked staff for their continued efforts across the state, including 36 officers still working on the frontline in Rockhampton and Mackay.

“The response of our staff and their integration with Queensland Health to minimise the impact on day-to-day business in the regions has been fantastic to see,” Mr Bowles said.

“So far we have deployed 110 officers to provide aid and support to communities most devastated by the impacts of Cyclone Debbie.

“Many of these officers have left behind their own families and impacted communities in an effort to make a real difference to the people that we serve in their time of need.”

STAFF NUMBERS

• 2000 staff in Mackay HHS
• 147 additional HHS staff deployed
• 36 further staff over the next week
• 110 additional QAS officers deployed

DEPLOYMENTS FROM

• The bulk of support has come from Townsville, Metro North, Metro South, Gold Coast and specialist paediatric support from Childrens Health Qld, along with deployments from
• Far north (Cape and Torres),
• Darling Downs,
• West Moreton,
• Cairns and Hinterland and
• Wide Bay.

ENDS

Media contact:

Emma McBryde                  0447 155 332