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Katie spoke with AMSANT CEO John Paterson about the spread of Covid into remote communities · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: You are listening to Mix one O four point nine.
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  Speaker 1: It is thirteen minutes away from ten o'clock. And well,
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  Speaker 1: we certainly know about the situation that is unfolding. As
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  Speaker 1: we heard late yesterday, two new COVID cases were recorded
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  Speaker 1: and have been in the Northern Territory. Will one of
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  Speaker 1: those in a remote community, which is a first for
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  Speaker 1: us here in the territory. We do understand from information
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  Speaker 1: that we've received from the Chief Minister's Office throughout this
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  Speaker 1: morning that there is going to be for the positive
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  Speaker 1: cases today, whether they are in the community or whether
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  Speaker 1: they are in Catherine. At this point in time, we
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  Speaker 1: don't have that detail. But joining me on the line
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  Speaker 1: right now is the CEO of AM Sant, John Patterson.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, John, Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning listeners. I'm dyling in from beautiful there in
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  Speaker 2: a country, Alice.
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  Speaker 1: All good stuff. Well, John, I tell you what, it
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  Speaker 1: was a pretty terrible situation that we've learned of late yesterday.
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  Speaker 1: What was your reaction when you heard of these two
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  Speaker 1: cases is but particularly the case of of COVID in
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  Speaker 1: Robinson River.
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  Speaker 2: Very very concerned, Katie. To be quite frank, this is
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  Speaker 2: the will Kenya incidental in the northern territory that we're
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  Speaker 2: going to face. I reckon very concerned, you know for that.
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  Speaker 2: And one of the concerns is around you know, at
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  Speaker 2: this point in time, and I appreciate this. You know,
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  Speaker 2: people are working very hard to try and detect the
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  Speaker 2: where where this contact came in the being and where
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  Speaker 2: it stems from originated from. So there's extensive work being done,
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  Speaker 2: as I understand, from all the health officials in Catherine
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  Speaker 2: and Robinson River to try and see widespread this this
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  Speaker 2: potential deadly virus has spread and waiting on those test
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  Speaker 2: results to come back. One of our members, Serve Willie
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  Speaker 2: will and Jane is a is a tax site, right,
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  Speaker 2: so you know we're working with them to provide the
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  Speaker 2: appropriate support and assistance and to try and track down
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  Speaker 2: all that tracing testing, you know, identifying individuals and you know,
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  Speaker 2: make sure that we get to get them testing and
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  Speaker 2: get the results back as quickly as possible. Absolutely appropriate action.
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  Speaker 1: And John with Whorley Willy, as you said there, it's
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  Speaker 1: one of one of your members that health service. What's
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  Speaker 1: the word from them today? Does that mean that all
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  Speaker 1: of the staff they need to get tested?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, those that are we're in the close contact
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  Speaker 2: are being identified as I understand they've closed the clinic
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  Speaker 2: for the well. It's all in lockdown for seventy two hours, Captain,
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  Speaker 2: so they're undertaking, you know, all the appropriate cleansing and
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  Speaker 2: cleaning requirements to get it back on track and ready
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  Speaker 2: for services hopefully after the seventy to our lockdown period.
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  Speaker 1: Now John out at at at Robinson River, who manages
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  Speaker 1: the health services out there in that community, sure of borrow.
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  Speaker 2: A little clinic and the Robinson River Clinic are both
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  Speaker 2: modern Turkey government run clinic. Suffice to say, Katie, look,
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  Speaker 2: it's we shouldn't be debating who runs clinics. We have
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  Speaker 2: a really good Yeah, I know, I know you don't.
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  Speaker 2: You're not sort of flaying that, but you know, we've
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  Speaker 2: got to We work very closely with the modern Turfury
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  Speaker 2: Health Department, and when we come across these sorts of situations,
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  Speaker 2: it's all hands on deck. Tell us who you work for,
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  Speaker 2: Aboriginal comeric control into your health. You know, this is
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  Speaker 2: a team effort and that's the shared understanding where you
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  Speaker 2: have from you know, the highest level of government. So
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  Speaker 2: whatever needs to be taken, we're standing ready, willing and
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  Speaker 2: able to provide whatever support and assistance turfy help might
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  Speaker 2: fall upon us for.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, And John, do we know what steps are
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  Speaker 1: being taken in that community today? My understanding was that
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  Speaker 1: they were actually flying some additional staff out there to
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  Speaker 1: get that testing, et cetera done. What are you hearing?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I'm very pleased. Dan sounds very pleased about
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  Speaker 2: the way the health have gone about and responded to this,
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  Speaker 2: and a team of expert clinicians and the testing teams.
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  Speaker 2: So I understand they're on the ground there and usually
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  Speaker 2: setting up all their tents and whatever else they need
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  Speaker 2: to set up to get these testing done and results
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  Speaker 2: back as quickly as possible, so it can just keep
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  Speaker 2: keep happy the virus at bay and avoided it from
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  Speaker 2: spreading more widely. I'm also concerned about the you know,
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  Speaker 2: there's heavy traffic between Robinson River and Bolulla Township, so
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  Speaker 2: there might be consideration to locking down Bolula for a
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  Speaker 2: bit of a period of time as well, just to
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  Speaker 2: avoid any of the trafficking between Robinson River and other
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  Speaker 2: outlying areas. Who knows, this is a fast spreading virus, Kade,
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  Speaker 2: We've got to put in measures and appropriate stops where
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  Speaker 2: we possibly can to stop this virus in its track
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  Speaker 2: and get on top of the appropriate test and get
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  Speaker 2: the results back and take the appropriate healthcare that's required.
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  Speaker 1: And John, we do know that we've got such a
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  Speaker 1: transient population in the Northern territory. When you take that
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  Speaker 1: into account, do you think that we are going to
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  Speaker 1: see further spread, you know, further than Robinson River and Catherine.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, I mean given the exposure Catherine, you know,
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  Speaker 2: until we get those test results back. Look, I'm just
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  Speaker 2: speculating here, but I reckon there'd be more cases coming
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  Speaker 2: out of Catherine, just with the movement, you know, and
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  Speaker 2: what I've observed, and here on the great line about
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  Speaker 2: the movement of the individuals, and like you say, the
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  Speaker 2: original people are very transient people between communities and remote centers.
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  Speaker 2: So I wouldn't be surprised if we hear of more
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  Speaker 2: more cases in Katherine as a result of those tests
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  Speaker 2: coming back.
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  Speaker 1: John, what do you think is going to be some
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  Speaker 1: real critical points for us today in terms of you know,
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  Speaker 1: what happens next, particularly when we look at the care
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  Speaker 1: of our Aboriginal territorians.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, Kadie, like you say, excellent partnership with the Commonwealth,
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  Speaker 2: Empty Health, and the Aboriginal Community Control Sectory and the
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  Speaker 2: ramsand and our membership. We like I say, we're all
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  Speaker 2: in this together. We're going to work out butts off
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  Speaker 2: to ensure that we stop this very deadly vise from
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  Speaker 2: spreading as wide as you know it could eventually. You know,
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  Speaker 2: we need to just monitor those testings and get the
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  Speaker 2: results back as quickly as we possibly can. And if
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  Speaker 2: it requires, you know, the measures and restrictions, then I
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  Speaker 2: think we need to put all those considerations on the table. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: and you know, to keep community safe and turtoring. So
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  Speaker 2: at the end of the day, I just don't want
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  Speaker 2: to find ourselves having to lock down larger parts of
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  Speaker 2: the Turtley. I mean, let's try and keep it in
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  Speaker 2: those breakout areas as much as possible. And yeah, just
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  Speaker 2: get their purpriate testing and then apply their purperately healthcare
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  Speaker 2: that's required.
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  Speaker 1: And John, I know that you mentioned will Kenya. It
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  Speaker 1: is an area that a lot of people were very
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  Speaker 1: concerned about a little while back. They managed to get
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  Speaker 1: on top of things and fortunately managed to get on
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  Speaker 1: top of things pretty quickly and avoid a real tragedy.
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  Speaker 1: Do we need to look to will Kenya and what
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  Speaker 1: they've done in terms of how we deal with this.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, yes, exactly, Katie. We've got to take those learnings
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  Speaker 2: from will Kenya. I'd like to say they prevented maybe
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  Speaker 2: more deaths happening there. And this is a timely reminder,
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  Speaker 2: a timely reminder. I'm calling on all Indigenous to territiins
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  Speaker 2: if you're still considering getting vaccinated, I would encourage you,
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  Speaker 2: particularly those in those those hotspot areas now, to go
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  Speaker 2: and see your local clinician and consider with care and
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  Speaker 2: be mindful about the lockdown rules and requirements. But whenever possible,
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  Speaker 2: get to your nearest clinician, get there, get vaccinated. Otherwise
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  Speaker 2: there is you know, we've seen now there's enough evidence worldwide,
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  Speaker 2: if you're unvaccinated, there's big risk, high risk that you're
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  Speaker 2: going to hostialize. That's an ic U then unto ventilated
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  Speaker 2: and it then could cause death. That's our blood. I
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  Speaker 2: need to convey that message, Kadie, so to prevent any
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  Speaker 2: of that sort of serious stuff hoostialization, all that there
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  Speaker 2: is evidence now that if you're fully vaccinated, if it
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  Speaker 2: can help, are you getting into those sorts of stages Well.
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  Speaker 1: John Patterson, the CEO of AMSANT, the Aboriginal Medical Services
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  Speaker 1: Alliance here in the Northern Territory. I always appreciate your time.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you very much for speaking with me today. Thank you,
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  Speaker 1: no worries