Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
More than 250 children rushed to PMH in 24 hours |
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July
Valued Member Joined: May 24 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1660 |
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Posted: August 04 2009 at 1:49pm |
More than 250 children rushed to PMH in 24 hours Article from: PerthNow
August 04, 2009 11:15am “For more than a week our hospitals have been under siege and the situation is growing more serious by the day,” AMA state president Prof Gary Geelhoed. “Hospitals are trying to operate over capacity and until they get the extra beds and resources they need, patients will have dangerously long waiting times causing unnecessary suffering.” Prof Geelhoed said the situation had reached crisis point in the past 24 hours resulting in: MORE than 250 children attending the emergency department at Princess Margaret Hospital, many with flu symptoms. Most children had to wait up to 90 minutes to see a doctor. AT 9am this morning, 110 patients were still queuing in emergency departments at Perth’s three major hospitals. Many had waited up to six hours to be seen by a doctor and a number had to wait more than 24 hours for a hospital bed. "Over the last week the hospital system has been struggling to cope,” Prof Geelhoed said. “We have seen serious levels of ramping, with more than half the ambulance fleet tied up outside emergency departments. “Most elective surgery has been cancelled because of the bed shortage and there’s even been a lack of intensive care beds with hospitals having great difficulty admitting new intubated patients.” Prof Geelhoed said Health Minister Kim Hames had recognised the problem by introducing the four-hour rule for emergency departments earlier this year, but it would be almost two years before it had an impact on overcrowding. “The Government must also understand that the four-hour rule alone will not solve the problem,” he said. “Until we get about 400 more beds, more nurses and more resources, the hospital system in WA will never be able to provide the standard of patient care that the community deserves.” Prof Geelhoed said that the government had also failed to address the problem of obsolete and faulty equipment which was hindering the clinical operations of most hospitals. “The danger is that unless our hospitals can perform better, the Federal Government could have the excuse to take them over – and that would be a disaster, in our view,” he said. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25881082-2761,00.html |
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dennis2
Valued Member Original Join Date: Long Term Member Joined: July 31 2007 Status: Offline Points: 267 |
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This is about what I was afraid of. When the number of cases is > the hospital beds - things will start to turn downhill fast. notice: 6 hour wait for doctor, 24 hour wait for beds, 1/2 of the half the ambulance fleet tied up, ... If they did not have the flu before, some will get it in the waiting rooms. |
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after all is said and done- more is said than done
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July
Valued Member Joined: May 24 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1660 |
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Hames rejects hospital crisis claimsPosted Tue Aug 4, 2009 2:26pm AEST
Western Australia's Health Minister, Kim Hames, has blamed swine flu for the unprecedented demand for beds at Perth hospitals. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) believes the city's hospitals are at crisis point and are failing to cope with the influx of patients. Last night, Perth's hospital emergency departments struggled to cope, with some patients waiting up to 12 hours to be admitted. The association has blamed the Government's efficiency cuts for a lack of staff and beds. But Dr Hames says that is not the case. "We're doing the absolute best that it is possible to do. Every bed is open, they're fully staffed," he said. "This has got nothing to do with dollars or beds - every available bed is there for patients doing our best to cope. "I mean we are in the middle of winter, we are in the middle of an international spread of a new virus." The Opposition Leader, Eric Ripper, has accused the government of misleading the public on its promise to improve the state's hospitals. Mr Ripper says the Liberal-National government is not properly planning for the demands on health services. "At the time of the election they were leading people to believe, elect them and services would improve," he said. "Services haven't improved. They've since the election talked about the four hour rule, that's much more rhetoric than it is action. We're not actually seeing any impact from that four hour rule." He denies the health system is in crisis, but admits the situation is difficult. "There is unprecedented demand to the extent that we are having to buy some beds in the private sector to fit those patients in," he said. "We've never had this sort of demand and the swine flu is a large part of the reason for it." |
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rickster58
Moderator Joined: March 09 2009 Location: Sydney Status: Offline Points: 4875 |
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What scares me the most is that our Aussie hospitals are not coping with this mild strain of the flu. I cannot imagine what will happen when the more deadlier strain hits. |
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ME163
Admin Group Joined: September 16 2006 Status: Offline Points: 4552 |
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Rickster,
Finally the cat is out of the bag, TPTB can't lie any more. So, the spin machine is going at warp speed. They will never admit that they screwed up nor will they fisx the issue. Frankly I haven't seen anything so pathetic since Baghdad Bob saying we crushed the amreicans in iraq. This is really an effort to spin this thing once it gets out of hand. The very thing that they fear has happened, something that they can't spin. |
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rickster58
Moderator Joined: March 09 2009 Location: Sydney Status: Offline Points: 4875 |
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Totally agree ME163, Albert was right to tell us all to get scripts for Relenza ... the way the medical system is (not) coping with this, we will each be on our own anyway, with little or no medical support. I'm trying to gather some scripts for antibiotics as well. |
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Mary008
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We know people who are a half hour north of Perth. I will contact them (away now) and ask what they hear there.
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rickster58
Moderator Joined: March 09 2009 Location: Sydney Status: Offline Points: 4875 |
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I was born and raised in Perth, I have family there. My sister tells me she is concerned enough not to send her kids to school at present. She doesn't know of anyone with SW personally but says a lot are sick with seasonal flu. (how would you know if you had it anyway!)
Another relative says a few are off work and that his bank is more strict on staying home when you are sick. He says the media reports are true, the hospitals are swamped.
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Mary008
V.I.P. Member Joined: June 22 2009 Status: Offline Points: 5769 |
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are sick with seasonal flu. (how would you know if you had it anyway!)
................................................ Over there... I see it would be harder to know. They say it may be replacecing seasonal flu...because it is so infective? Over here it is so odd to be so ill in Aug... weird. thanks for the info Rick... keep us posted. I want to know who is stepping up to help you all? Hello? USA? (if only I were Bill Gates) we have a civil assist pack...with Canada. I hope New York has some Mobile Units like PA. |
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Loribearme
Adviser Group Joined: September 06 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2542 |
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when the flu went through the USA - we did not have it that bad!! I think its getting worse, the stories are sounding like the 1918 S--T!!
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Mahshadin
Admin Group Joined: January 26 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3882 |
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Sounds as though they have reached or approaching their surge capacity. I bet in some circles they are now regreting the decisions that decreased surge capabilities by 50 to 60 persent over the last 25 years.
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"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." G Orwell
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Wolfmanjack
Valued Member Joined: April 25 2009 Status: Offline Points: 211 |
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I said this a few months ago here myself.... And this story is proving what i and many others here said.. Number of infected people needing hospitals will far out weigh the number of hospital beds and staff available.
I also said a day or so ago that we are at the start of the second wave.. This bug seems to be moving much faster then even the 1918 spanish flu. Mehh.. I hope i am wrong.. and everything we are seeing in Australia is just isolated .. But ............... Mehh i think the next 1-3 months are going to be a nightmare. Damn i hope i am wrong. |
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"The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion."
Arthur C. Clarke |
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ausgirl122
Valued Member Joined: April 29 2009 Status: Offline Points: 8 |
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I am in Perth, and just found out at my childs school that there is lots of swine flu and a case in my childs class, which the teacher was informed about and decided not to tell the parents, so of course we found out through the child itself, who was off for minimal amount of time, do not know what to do as I cannot keep my kids off for the rest of winter! I am also a student in the tertiary health services area and the swine flu is a huge deal with the hospitals here.
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ME163
Admin Group Joined: September 16 2006 Status: Offline Points: 4552 |
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ausggirl,
Keep in touch with us and let us know what on earth is going on in Perth. I know that the southern hemisphere is in full winter and whatever you have down under will impact the north very soon. I just hope to god we are prepared for this. We must get more preps. I am so worried about this mess. Get ready for a bumpy ride. |
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dennis2
Valued Member Original Join Date: Long Term Member Joined: July 31 2007 Status: Offline Points: 267 |
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ausgirl122-
hope you the best.
Can you comment on what the overall mood of the town is?
Do you notice any difference in stores, grocery stocks, use of masks?
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after all is said and done- more is said than done
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Lilac
Experienced Member Joined: October 06 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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Hey Ausgirl !! I am in Perth too.The general public from what I observe don't seem to be overly stressed about the swine flu.I wonder what those people thought who had to queue for hours at the hospital though.
My self and our 4 adult children have all had a fluey thing in the last couple of weeks.My husband thought he had escaped it but came home yesterday with a streaming nose and achey all over.He wants to know if he can have treatment and treats from the "swine flu room".He says he'll be happy with "oinkment" and "trough mixture"!!!LOL |
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Lilac
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Lilac
Experienced Member Joined: October 06 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 11 |
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Do you know I still have'nt seen one single person wearing a mask yet in Perth.Mind you we are in the hills and away from the concentrated population but even when we go down to the bigger town I still don't see any masks.Are people wearing them in America??
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Lilac
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SheepLady
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Hi, Lilac. I know of several people who will mask voluntarily when they travel by airline. So far, though, I have not seen many people wearing masks when shopping. Hope hubby gets better soon!!!
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SheepLady
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SheepLady
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Hello, Ausgirl122. Mahshadin had an excellent plan posted yesterday for dealing with the schools. Did you see it? I am thinking it would work for you in Australia as well. Take care.
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SheepLady
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Mary008
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The flu seems to be highly infective. I have not heard of many deaths here. My Dad said they have masks at the Doctors office and he wore one to protect himself....a little. We have had flu here all summer and they say that when the kids go back to school in a few weeks the flu will happen (fly through schools) right away in Sept.
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