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Katie Woolf spoke with AMA Australian Medical Association NT President Dr Robert Parker · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Katie Wolf Hazard covered on three point sixty. Everyone is listening.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: Next one O four point nine.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Joining us live on the line for the first time
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  Speaker 1: this year, the Australian Medical Association President, Doctor Robert Parker.
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: Good morning morning, Katie.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Dr Parker, thanks for your time this morning. We did
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: catch up with the Chief Minister Michael Gunner a little
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: earlier this morning and heard a bit more about the
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: fact that our border checkpoints on our roads are no
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: longer going to have police on them.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: Is this a concern, Well, again, I suppose the government
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  Speaker 2: it depends how many people are coming through with a
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: significant reduction in COVID generally, you know, with the occasional outbreak,
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: and I suppose they managed the number of travels coming
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: through those the government's got to save some money. We
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: can't get them up forever, and particularly with the more
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: remote places. It's probably not a bad idea. Although the
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: AMA and am cent are always very concerned I suppose
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: about the risk to Indigenous communities from COVID, and I
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: presume the government will be acting on advice about potential wisdom.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and that was what he sort of said that
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  Speaker 1: even though the police would be off, the board has said,
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  Speaker 1: still be sort of the checkpoints. I believe they use
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: some kind of of technology for the fear number plates
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: and then it needs to match up, I believe with
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  Speaker 1: your paperwork. I guess though. The worry always is if
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: somebody comes in from one of those hot spots and
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: indeed has COVID, well, of.
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  Speaker 2: Course, you know we'd be very ancent and the amay
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  Speaker 2: be very strong on the potential risk Indigenous communities generally
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: if COVID does come into the territory, well, it's always
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: a risk. You can have the maximum level of protection,
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: but it costs and I think the government probably is
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: making a sensible decision based on perceived risk and potential
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: cost of effects. But yeah, and it's always a balance.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: And doctor Parker, we know over the weekend or certainly
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: on Friday after the National Cabinet met, there were calls
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: or there's certainly discussion between the federal government and then
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: all than territory government about the number of repatriated ausies
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: that we've got at Howard Springs. Well Doubling, the Chief Minister,
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: said on the show this morning it wouldn't happen until
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: after the cyclone season. I mean we've managed things really
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  Speaker 1: very well thus far out at Howard Springs. Is it
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: going to be a good thing? Do you think for
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: us to increase those numbers?
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: Well, again, I think the tends into you setting a
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  Speaker 2: gold standard. And obviously doctor Stevens and the team out
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  Speaker 2: there doing a great job in both keeping people safe
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: and also preticting the community. And then again, if I
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: was doing quarantine, I much prefer to do it at
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: how It Springs, you know, in the open air with
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: a veranda, other than being stuck in some quarantina drill
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: down south. And obviously there are you know that we
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: constantly get media feeds about the number of distress ologies
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: who are stuck overseas, and so I think it's a
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: good solution. I mean, if Howard Springs can accommodate the
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  Speaker 2: numbers and it's in at the very high standards that
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  Speaker 2: they're currently the ozmap team are doing well well and good.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: And doctor Parker, there's been plenty of talk nationally and
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: indeed internationally about the vaccine roll out. How are you
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: feeling about it all?
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  Speaker 2: Well, again, I think Chris Morley was on that there's
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: been a lot of discussion with the within the a
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: m A about the vaccine. Obviously we're very there's been
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: you know, there's some very wise heads advising the government
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: currentlyyond the types of vaccines, who gets what the levels
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: the various levels that people who have got priority for
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  Speaker 2: the vaccine get both. The main concern for the A
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: m A has been informed consent and the and the
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: potential risk for an indemnity for the GPS rolling it out.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: I'm not sure if the governments sorted that out yet.
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  Speaker 2: I remember the good old days and I loaned up
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: for Saban and sulk, you know, when I was sorting
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  Speaker 2: at polio and there's no problem about it. Can form
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  Speaker 2: consent in just in the line and took the spoon.
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: These days, you know, there's a lot more legal issues
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: around it and the government. I suppose the most sensible
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  Speaker 2: thing would be to have a form that you do online,
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  Speaker 2: you know, with a range of languages, so it's properly
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: informed about the process, and then you just quote a
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  Speaker 2: number when you go to get the injection you actually
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  Speaker 2: have that you don't form consent. But I think there
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  Speaker 2: is a concern that while government agencies are well protected
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: through indemnity, they're still still talk about how the GPS
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: are particular through indemnity, and that discussion needs to continue.
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and has there been much discussion sort of on
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  Speaker 1: a territory level between the government and the AMA about
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  Speaker 1: how exactly it's going to roll out At this point.
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  Speaker 2: No one from the government has contacted us. From the
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  Speaker 2: nt government. I mean, there's been regular high level discussion
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  Speaker 2: I think between the AMA federally and the Chief help
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: Officer and the various people involved in the vaccine rollout,
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  Speaker 2: but we haven't had any local discussions with the territory
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  Speaker 2: government as yet.
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  Speaker 1: But I'm sure, well, I'm guessing that will happen sort
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  Speaker 1: of closer to the vaccine rollout, do you think.
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: Well, again, it's I think it's again nationally, it's for
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  Speaker 2: the federal government to the set priorities. Yeah, the territory
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: developed them locally. I mean, the key issue is the
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  Speaker 2: number of GP practic who get involved in giving the
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: vaccine away, apart from the government agent he's doing it.
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  Speaker 2: And really AMA really hasn't got a role in that.
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  Speaker 2: It's really up for the GP practices nominate and be
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  Speaker 2: accepted for that. Really, all the AMA can do is
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  Speaker 2: remind the charity government about what the federal priorities are,
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  Speaker 2: but we really haven't got a role in negotiating between
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  Speaker 2: GP practices and the territory government.
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: Well, Robert Parker, Doctor Robert Parker, the head of the
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  Speaker 1: AMA here in the Northern Territory, really appreciate your time
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: this morning. I understand you're not very well, but you
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: are COVID free.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: I am COVID negative yep, yep yet and recovering well.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: We really appreciate your time this morning, Dr Parker, thanks
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: for having a chat with us.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Hey, good to talk to you, Katy.
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: Thank you