Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / KAtie spoke with the AMA's Dr. Robert Parker about changes to testing and letting travellers from red zones into the Territory by Christmas

Transcript

KAtie spoke with the AMA's Dr. Robert Parker about changes to testing and letting travellers from red zones into the Territory by Christmas · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The line right now is doctor Robert Parker, who is
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  Speaker 1: the head of the Australian Medical Association here in the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory. Good morning to you, Dr Parker.
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  Speaker 2: Morning Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Doctor Parker, what was your reaction, Well, actually, let's talk
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  Speaker 1: firstly about the situation obviously with the hard lockdown we
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  Speaker 1: know for the Binjari community and also for Rock Hole.
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  Speaker 1: What's your reaction been to this outbreak within our remote
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  Speaker 1: indigenous communities.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I suppose it's an issue that am SAND and
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  Speaker 2: the AMA have been talking about for a while now
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  Speaker 2: about why we need all Aboriginal people in the communities
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  Speaker 2: to be ninety five percent vaccinated exactly for this reason,
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  Speaker 2: so that there's very high levels of vaccination exactly for
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  Speaker 2: the reasons we're aware of now at Banjarian Rockhole.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and no doubt it is having a big impact.
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  Speaker 1: I'm assuming that it's having a more broad impact as
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  Speaker 1: well on our health sector, but at this stage, as
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  Speaker 1: far as I know, only two patients have been admitted
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  Speaker 1: to Royal Darwin Hospital. Still having an impact, Dr Parker.
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  Speaker 2: Well, again, Katie, that's the main benefit of vaccination that
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  Speaker 2: it prevents most people from getting the very serious problems
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  Speaker 2: of the virus, you know, which is why we've been
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  Speaker 2: arguing it doesn't solve people potentially getting the virus, but
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  Speaker 2: it means I don't have to go to hospital. Lining
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  Speaker 2: That was very evidenced with what happens Rock Hole, where
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  Speaker 2: I gather, you know, despite a few people getting it,
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  Speaker 2: not Rock and Roll, Robinson River, only one person needed
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  Speaker 2: admission to hospital because people will basically protect it from
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  Speaker 2: the serious consequences of the virus because of vaccination rates.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, as somebody who is exposed to you to
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  Speaker 1: a lot within the health system. You know, I'm assuming
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  Speaker 1: over the years you've seen a lot of different things
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  Speaker 1: within the health system that many of us normal people
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  Speaker 1: simply have not. Does it frustrate you when you hear
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  Speaker 1: you know, regular Territorians sort of saying, oh, well, what's
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  Speaker 1: the point in getting the vaccine because I'm still going
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  Speaker 1: to get I'm still going to get COVID anyway.
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  Speaker 2: Well, again, I think it comes down to what Rod McCrae,
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  Speaker 2: the AMA Victorian president, was saying recently, where people are
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  Speaker 2: turning up in hospital saying, you know, we're really sick
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  Speaker 2: from COVID, saying can I have the vaccine now? But
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  Speaker 2: it's too late. And I mean the evidence is we're
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  Speaker 2: both short and long term COVID. It's a disease. It's
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  Speaker 2: not worth getting. If you're not vaccinated, it can kinue you.
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  Speaker 2: They can also leave you with very serious health consequences
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  Speaker 2: the vaccine, and the evidence is very much in from
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  Speaker 2: overseas that while the vaccinated populations are a much healthier
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  Speaker 2: population in terms of COVID than people who are not vaccinated.
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  Speaker 2: So the vaccine has a real benefit in terms of
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  Speaker 2: an individual as well as the community. I mean, I
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  Speaker 2: always think that people will get vaccines generally because they're
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  Speaker 2: making a contribution to the community. It's actually a system,
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  Speaker 2: not just them, but other people, other people's families in
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  Speaker 2: staying healthy.
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  Speaker 1: Dr Parker, how is the health system coping at this
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  Speaker 1: point in time? Are things fairly steady?
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  Speaker 2: Well? Again, the NT's got a particular action plan. We're
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  Speaker 2: working around problem as they arise, and their regular meetings
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  Speaker 2: to look at solutions the problems. I mean, we're very
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  Speaker 2: much aware of the constant stress. And I mean this
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  Speaker 2: goes back again to the to the letter I wrote
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  Speaker 2: the Hunts three years ago, telling is telling him that
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  Speaker 2: territory hospitals were very stressed at that time in two
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  Speaker 2: or three times as a busy The other hospitals are Australia
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  Speaker 2: and I mean we're all aware of the you know,
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  Speaker 2: the frequent Level four escalations and code yellows that were
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  Speaker 2: occurring before COVID, So I mean the hospital system is
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  Speaker 2: just having to cape. And I mean again, Robinson River
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  Speaker 2: was well vaccinated one person. I mean it has still
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  Speaker 2: had the same problems with crowding and whatever small population
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  Speaker 2: in close contacts. But I think Robinson River showed the
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  Speaker 2: benefit of a vaccination. Unfortunately, with Binjarring and Rock Hole,
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  Speaker 2: they're less vaccinated, so there's there's more problems there and
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  Speaker 2: that's what am SAND and am have always been aware of,
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  Speaker 2: which is why we've been very keen to get these
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  Speaker 2: vaccination rates up to ninety five percent exactly for the
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  Speaker 2: reasons that are happening at Binjarring and.
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  Speaker 1: Rock Hole the moment, Dr Parker we know over the
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  Speaker 1: weekend obviously the government amounts announced this roadmap. Effectively it's
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  Speaker 1: been brought forward by one month with the plan to
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  Speaker 1: open the country by January. But these changes to home
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  Speaker 1: quarantine do mean that fully vaccinated travelers from red zones
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  Speaker 1: will be allowed into the territory. And I mean it
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  Speaker 1: makes a lot of different changes. But what was your
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  Speaker 1: reaction upon hearing those changes. Is it a concern when
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  Speaker 1: you look at our health system?
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  Speaker 2: Well, again, Katie, I've been in touch with some really
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  Speaker 2: senior health experts who you know, are not particularly worried
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  Speaker 2: I think by the changes. I mean, they're sort of
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  Speaker 2: accepting that we have to open up at some stage
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  Speaker 2: and they're not that concerned by all of the government's
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  Speaker 2: proposing at the moment.
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  Speaker 1: Well, that is good. I mean, that's good to hear,
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  Speaker 1: and I think that that will give us some members
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  Speaker 1: of the community that real confidence. And I guess it
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  Speaker 1: does go back to what you were saying about those
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  Speaker 1: vaccines as well. And if it is travelers coming in
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  Speaker 1: who've been vaccinated.
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  Speaker 2: That's right. And again, we can't stay closed forever. There's
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  Speaker 2: very good evidence now that the vaccine and booster shops
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  Speaker 2: and I said, they have a booster shot recently more protective,
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  Speaker 2: and I mean that's the evidence coming out of Israel,
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  Speaker 2: where they've managed to contain a further caved approp pretty
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  Speaker 2: much everyone having booster shots. So you know, the evidence
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  Speaker 2: is more and more the vaccination helps protect against this
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  Speaker 2: appalling virus, and that you know it also helps medically
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  Speaker 2: but also socially that you can start to open up
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  Speaker 2: communities well.
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  Speaker 1: Doctor Robert Parker, the head of the Australian Medical Association
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  Speaker 1: here in the Northern Territory, always appreciate your time. Thank
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  Speaker 1: you very much for chatting with me this morning.
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  Speaker 2: No worries, Katie, good to talk to you too,