Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with John Patterson from AMSANT about the BUStopping vaccination campaign

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Katie Woolf spoke with John Patterson from AMSANT about the BUStopping vaccination campaign · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: There is plenty of work underway at the moment in
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: a real effort to try to make sure that Territorians
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: are vaccinated. And I know that well, there's plenty of
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: work going on with Danilla Dilber and also AM SANT
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  Speaker 1: in an effort to try to make sure that our
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  Speaker 1: Indigenous Territorians are vaccinated. And joining us on the line
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  Speaker 1: right now is John Patterson, the CEO of AM SANT.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, John, and a very.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning to you Katie. Happy Tuesday.
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  Speaker 1: Happy Tuesday, John. I know that you've launched something a
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  Speaker 1: little bit different this morning, the Bus Stopping the Pandemic campaign.
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  Speaker 1: Tell us a bit about what this is.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, Well, in partnership with our local Aboriginal Medical service
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  Speaker 2: he at Donana Dilber and Congress and Alas Springs and
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  Speaker 2: the support of the tertiary government through the bus services,
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  Speaker 2: we've actually identified and realized that messaging key messaging to
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  Speaker 2: a most vulnerable population, the indigenous popular of the Northern Territory,
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  Speaker 2: needs to be paramounts. We've brainstormed and come up with
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  Speaker 2: a number of initiatives and one of those was getting
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  Speaker 2: the vaccination signed on the back of four buses in
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  Speaker 2: the Dale and Palmston region which will be on those
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  Speaker 2: main arterial routes and two buses in Nallo Springs that
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  Speaker 2: will carry these key messages and the signing on the
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  Speaker 2: back of those buses as well. So we thought given
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  Speaker 2: that a lot of our mob you know, do catch buses,
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  Speaker 2: that's you know, mode of transport, we thought, well she
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  Speaker 2: was with you know, while they're catching buses, they can
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  Speaker 2: perhaps see some of those key messages as well. So
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  Speaker 2: it's a great way to get those key messages out,
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  Speaker 2: you know, buses and the public eye most of the
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  Speaker 2: time and anything coding, anything to get those messages out
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  Speaker 2: and get encourage people to get vaccinated. We need to
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  Speaker 2: need to support and get on with. Initiative we launched
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: on the weekend was with the AFL and T a
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  Speaker 2: partnership with AFL and T. The foty season just started
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  Speaker 2: in the northern at the top end yep. And yeah,
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  Speaker 2: we've got great support from AFL and T and you
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  Speaker 2: know they're not adulbre again and am sad to put
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  Speaker 2: up key messaging and signage in the change rooms in
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  Speaker 2: the taught ablution blocks down a TiO More and other
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  Speaker 2: public places around the around the building there, the grandstand
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  Speaker 2: and other key points where people hopefully we'll see the
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  Speaker 2: signage and we'll take heed of those key messages.
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  Speaker 1: I reckon it's a good idea, John, and I think
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  Speaker 1: like you'd said, you know, whatever we can do to
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  Speaker 1: try to make sure that as many Territorians as possible
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  Speaker 1: are vaccinated, particularly our indigenous territorians. How are those vaccination
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  Speaker 1: rates going from your perspective? Are you finding that you've
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  Speaker 1: had a bit of a you know, a better run
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: over the recent weeks. So since we last spoke.
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  Speaker 2: We've had some small games, Katie. I've been on leave
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  Speaker 2: recovering from some minor surgia for the last three weeks,
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  Speaker 2: so there's my first week back. I'm catching up with
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  Speaker 2: all the details as we speak, but I am aware
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  Speaker 2: that Onion, any our member service, under any health service
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  Speaker 2: in the Barkley region, they've come up with a very
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  Speaker 2: detailed plan, vaccination rollout plan for the entire region there.
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  Speaker 2: So the government, as you're probably where the federal government,
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  Speaker 2: have prioritized four regions now in the Northern Territory. That's
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  Speaker 2: been the Berkeley East, Arnham Down and Palmerston and they've
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  Speaker 2: now included the Ala Springs and areas around Ola Springs
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  Speaker 2: because there's priority areas. So each of those areas need
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  Speaker 2: to develop a vaccination rollout plan. Most of them have
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  Speaker 2: done or in the process of near completing. YEP, and
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  Speaker 2: we'll throw everything out getting those numbers up in thoset
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  Speaker 2: four particular areas where the numbers are slightly down. Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I think that's again a good idea. We
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  Speaker 1: want to ensure that everybody is vaccinated. John, are there
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  Speaker 1: any you know, like, are there any areas where you're
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  Speaker 1: still a bit concerned or do you feel as though
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  Speaker 1: we are going to get to those rates? I know
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  Speaker 1: that you're aiming high. You're aiming for that ninety percent.
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  Speaker 1: Do you feel as though that is going to be possible?
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  Speaker 2: It's going to take a big effort, Katie, but we
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  Speaker 2: need to aim that that high. You know, we this
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  Speaker 2: deadly virus gets into any of those remote communities as
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  Speaker 2: we saw in you know, western New South Wales, some
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  Speaker 2: of those regional communities there that are highly populated with
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  Speaker 2: original people, it'll it'll take. It's told. You know, there
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  Speaker 2: are big numbers infected given the population. You know, chronic illnesses,
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  Speaker 2: most vulnerable overcrowding, et cetera, et cetera. It'll have a huge,
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  Speaker 2: each detrimental impact on our community. It's not a matter
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  Speaker 2: of if it'll be you know when it gets there.
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  Speaker 2: It's coming, there's no doubt. Well, I don't think we
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  Speaker 2: can keep it out, No, and that's something we've got
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  Speaker 2: to face the reality here, Katie and work on the
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  Speaker 2: base that this will get in the teratory and possibly
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  Speaker 2: into the communities. Hence, while we're pushing really really hard
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  Speaker 2: for everybody to seriously consider getting vaccinated, yeah, we can't
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  Speaker 2: stress that message. More important than and getting vaccinated to
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  Speaker 2: protect yourself, protect your family, and protect the community and
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  Speaker 2: protect the territory.
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  Speaker 1: John, we've been talking at lengths over the last few weeks,
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  Speaker 1: and I know you've been on leave, but we've been
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  Speaker 1: talking at lengths over the last few weeks about the
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  Speaker 1: stress on our health system at the moment, particularly in
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  Speaker 1: the Palmerston Regional Hospital and also in the Royal Darwin Hospital.
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  Speaker 1: We know that there was another code yellow called in
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  Speaker 1: about a week ago. We've been speaking to the Nurses'
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  Speaker 1: Union and also to the Australian Medical Association's Northern Territory
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  Speaker 1: branch about the need for more nurses here in the territory.
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  Speaker 1: Have you got much concern in this space, particularly when
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  Speaker 1: you talk about you know, the possibility of COVID and
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  Speaker 1: the delta strain you know being here in the territory
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  Speaker 1: at some.
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  Speaker 2: Point, Absolutely, Katie, And look, it's an issue workforce issue
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  Speaker 2: for the territory government. But we want to work with
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  Speaker 2: all levels of government to ensure that we can secure
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  Speaker 2: the workforce, the surge workforce, bring them into the territory
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  Speaker 2: and wherever we can get them from. Let's put our
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  Speaker 2: strategic thinking caps on, because we are also in need
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  Speaker 2: of nurses in our remote clinics as well. Both the
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  Speaker 2: territory government system health system along with ours are in
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  Speaker 2: a similar boat in regards as workforce requirement and urgent need.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, we definitely want the governments to can
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: consider an allocation of nurses and other clinicians that we
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  Speaker 2: can secure here for the Northern Territory to also be
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  Speaker 2: working in our sector. And we made that point quite
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  Speaker 2: clear from the outset. We knew that, you know, there
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  Speaker 2: will come a time when we're going to put strain
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  Speaker 2: on the workforce in the health system right across the
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  Speaker 2: board from primary health care to tertiary and hospital, you know,
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  Speaker 2: kid care, and we've just got to be at the ready, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: And we've got to do everything in our powers to
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  Speaker 2: ensure that we keep every territory and safe and given
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  Speaker 2: the best care if this deadly virus gets into the place,
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  Speaker 2: and run the MUC like it has been learning in
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  Speaker 2: other jurisdictions, John.
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  Speaker 1: Do you have any idea how many stuff you know
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  Speaker 1: you require? I know that you said that surge workforce
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  Speaker 1: and thinking about putting our thinking caps on to try
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  Speaker 1: to make sure that we are recruiting. I know that
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  Speaker 1: cath Hatcher from the nursing and we're for a unit
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  Speaker 1: it set up to one hundred. The Health Minister was
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: the show earlier this morning and said that they're looking
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  Speaker 1: at between fifty to seventy staff. Do you have any
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  Speaker 1: idea how many staff realistically we require out in some
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  Speaker 1: of those remote communities.
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  Speaker 2: Look for some unmown reason, the number of fifty comes
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  Speaker 2: to my mind, Katie, but that might be refreshed whilst
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: I've been on leave. But that's the sort of numbers
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  Speaker 2: I'd rather have more than not enough, you know. So
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  Speaker 2: we've got our game aim for a large number of
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  Speaker 2: clinicians that we can get into the territory, whether they
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  Speaker 2: be from overseas or nationally. It's a big struggle, a
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  Speaker 2: big bear at the moment to get them from within
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  Speaker 2: the another jurisdiction because of the lockdown and the enormous
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  Speaker 2: rates of COVID unfortunately still in New South Wales to Victoria.
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  Speaker 2: So look, we've got to really, like I say, put
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  Speaker 2: our strategic thins and caps on about where we consume
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  Speaker 2: secures this workforce and get the number of required phinicians
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  Speaker 2: and territory.
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  Speaker 1: Well. John Patterson, the CEO of am SAM, we always
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  Speaker 1: appreciate your time. Thank you very much for having a
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  Speaker 1: chat with us this morning, particularly on your first week
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: back at work. Thanks mate.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Ka for the continuing ACCE