Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith (left), CEO of Canberra Health Services Bernadette McDonald (middle) and Executive Chairman of Aspen Medical Glenn Keys (right) announcing Garran Oval as the site for the temporary Emergency Department on 9 April. Photo: Region Media.
The temporary emergency department set to be erected at Garran Oval will go ahead as planned despite an improving COVID-19 situation, the Chief Minister confirmed yesterday (20 April).
The $23 million, 50-bed pop-up facility will help the ACT expand the capacity of its emergency health response as Canberra prepares for a possible uptick in COVID-19 cases, coupled with winter influenza presentations.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen Smith has previously said that the facility had been chosen to mitigate any interruptions to Canberra Hospital’s operations and is intended to be fully self-sufficient.
The structure is intended to be temporary and represents an important part of the plan to boost the ACT’s hospital capacity, tripling the number of intensive care beds from 50 to more than 170 in case the pandemic returns.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he understands the frustration of residents who want lockdown restrictions eased, especially after almost 90 per cent of COVID-19 cases have recovered; however, he said those calling for slackened measures are misunderstanding the cyclical nature of a pandemic.
That possibility is what drives the decision to continue with the new emergency facility plans.
“I am worried about public frustration at the lockdowns but I did say this from the start, that decisions we took now were going to have long-term implications that were going to be beyond just a period of weeks – they were going to be months and potentially years,” Mr Barr said.
“The history of the Spanish Flu a century ago was that the second wave was significantly larger than the first and far more deadly. This virus will continue to circulate around Australia even if it stops in the ACT and all it takes is one person to begin another chain of infection.
“While it is possible for an island nation to pursue an elimination path, it is a short-term elimination path because this virus will continue to circulate around the world for many years – any early move out of restrictions runs the risk of a second or third or fourth or fifth wave.”
The Territory’s Chief Health Officer (CHO), Dr Kerryn Coleman, says she is hoping we can achieve complete eradication of COVID-19 in the ACT as less than a dozen people are active with the virus, but that the main aim of ACT Health is confidently identifying any transmission sources rapidly.
“When we start relaxing some of our social distancing measures and start to see movement further around the country is when our risk will re-raise because we are at a much lower risk than other jurisdictions,” she said.
“That will be a really important time to be monitoring our testing more closely.”
However, Mr Barr reminded Canberrans that even if the virus is eradicated in the territory or in Australia, there would be no immunity in the community until a vaccine is created.
At the very least, Australia would have to remain closed to overseas travellers and ban citizens from leaving the country as one person could potentially start another outbreak upon entry, Mr Barr says.
“There is a lot of work going into looking at how we can shape a series of measures that are less restrictive than where we are at now but that still provides some level of protection,” he said.
“We cannot completely eliminate the risk but you can make some sensible risk reduction and risk minimisation decisions and measures, and some are as straight forward as closing Australia’s borders and others go to limiting the size of public gatherings.”
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Presumably people realise that unless your entire household stays inside and the borders are sealed shut at least for next 2 years, there is a good chance that you will get this … ?
I for one would prefer that we are over prepared rather than under prepared😀
Let's hope all you knockers can say "see I was right" in 6 months time and that we didn't need it...although wonder if you would be saying that if you or your loved one was the 21st case that required care and there was only 20 beds....oops, bad luck!
we are saying it now. Elective surgeries are back and we are still going through with this!?!?
Matt Fallon glad you were right! Elective surgeries were stopped due to shortage of PPE 👍
Nardia Kerin No it wasnt
I still think it is a good idea but a better outcome would have been to have a flexible agile procurement strategy that could be scaled up and down as this rapidly changing crisis changes. In my experience government doesn’t have the knowledge to implement these kinds of flexible procurement strategies... ideally you would build it now at 50% of size...25 beds.
It’s fantastic and an awesome work but personally I would’ve invested this money in a permanent much needed hospital
Awesome investment, thank you ACT Gov ❤
Why not use the new hospital in Bruce it’s practically empty!
Jude Beck I think because it is a rehab hospital and most people staying or coming in there daily/weekly would be considered your ‘at risk’ people. So they wouldn’t be able to do that.
Jennifer Gee ok cheers, thanks for that, just a thought 😃
Just because its flattened now, doesn't mean there isnt a pandemic out there.
What a waste of money
Seems to makes sense as part of a strategy to ease restrictions.
I don’t understand why we don’t use the new, under utilised UC Hospital in Bruce?
UCH doesn't have ICU /ED capacity
Also, I believe they shifted pt there to make space at TCH.
Angie Fearon I think that completely misses the point. If we can build a whole new temporary hospital in a park, surely we can temporarily add some emergency capacity to an existing hospital?
David Brown it may also be staff and specially related. TCH is the regional trauma and referral hospital. So it may be that it's easier and quicker to transfer them to a speciality ward into TCH and also have a specialist doctor go from the main block ED to the pop up.
Angie Fearon hi Angie, long time no see, hope you're going OK. Mums up for joint 5 now! 2 x THR, 1 TKR, needs the second and had a reverse TSR. 👋
Haha ACT loves a pop up
I’m putting money on “them “ using it as another ward after winter and Covid are done due to the pre Covid bed capacity issues. Bets on that it’s actually a Hospital “covid operation “
It’s called planning for the worse while hoping for the best - there are no guarantees & I’d rather us be prepared just in case then things go the way of Europe or the US cause we’re underprepared!
It wont be used.
You can see the future, can you?
The date is NOW. Not a month or two down the track.
Jackie White data flows predict what it is likely to be down the track. The same data flows that were used to create quarantine
Really!!
Question is this temporary hospital staying there after everything calms down
Daniel Howell Lol, do you know what a field hospital is? It's temporary. Didn't you just say that yourself.
Daniel Howell I’m presuming it will but may be used for something else.
Li Sa yeah true
Daniel Howell I think the use for the building will be temporary but the building will remain 😊
No doubt the ACT Government won't restore the oval and return the site to public use. They'll either put a monstrous apartment building on the grounds or will use for the continued expansion of the hospital precinct. True to form, there'll be no consultation or a 'fake' consultation period. Either way, the residents of Garran are the losers. I can't wait for the election to roll around.
To any knockers that think this is a bad idea just remember we are in this good position because the Govt has taken the measures needed. Additionally they are also concerned about a second wave not overwhelming the existing health system. If they didn't prepare and the hospital was overwhelmed are you going to say why did they not prepare for this?.
Ed N Joanne Towner You've nailed it.
Ed N Joanne Towner let’s not mistake federal government for local government...
Its a bad idea.
Yes why Matt Fallon?
The restrictions were always about buying time to build preparedness. This move is about improving preparedness. Given that a vaccine seems unlikely (at least for a while) and treatment protocols are still being developed, I am very ok with having a facility ready should we need it. I think the ACT Government has performed well. There’s no place I’d rather be than in Canberra and in Australia right now.
Peter Bojkowski we dont need it. We have had no overflow and there is only 1 case rn.
Matt Fallon Using that rationale nobody would prepare for anything even if all the advice( in this case medical) says prepare.
Ed N Joanne Towner Do you think rates are increasing?
Matt Fallon costs probably will but we need to be prepared. I will give you analogy Motorcycle rider doesn't buy protective riding gear. Rider may never has an accident so thinks they have saved money However most riders woll buy good gear because the advice says if you have am accident or an off the money is well spent. Anyway we are all entitled to our opinions mine is to err on the side of caution with this extra hosp facility.
Ed N Joanne Towner be prepared and it Might not happen. Our Emergency dept is very busy over winter without the virus. Great forward planning which the country has been lacking for awhile in lots of areas.
Darren Bryant the rider doesnt... The passenger should
Matt In the analogy the Garran field hospital is the helmet. The field hospital is protection for if/when the hospital isn't able to cope with the volume of cases.
But if there was ever an argument for 2 helmets it's you.
Felicity Jane well i never. Seems a littlestupid to spend 23 million on something that wont be used. Thanks for backing it tho, cant wait for the increased taxes...
Matt Fallon Looks like you are gazing into that crystal ball again. You can't possibly know what is going to happen!
Ed N Joanne Towner we will see then
Matt Fallon only takes one undiagnosed case to trigger a big outbreak and close down two entire hospitals. Check out North West Tasmania at the moment. Imagine if they had a back up? Better to be safe then sorry.
Suzanne Tunks it is totally unnecessary and West Tassiedoesnt have our existing infrastructure
do you pay for insurance for your healthcare or house/possessions ? A lot do as we know the recovery would be to hard without it. This is the same in this Situation, to not prepare is a risk to great to take
ok Matt.
Monica Millgate Elective surgeries are back and we are still going through with this!?!?
Use the Defence Forces if needed.
Elspeth Shannon Rollason Aspen Medical who one the contract are a major supplier to Defence and in the past have set up similar field hospitals in other countries.
Peter Bojkowski so what. Use Defence directly not some contractor. Would be great training for them
I thought there were 0 cases currently in hospital 🤷🏼♂️