In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the RACP is advocating for better access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for all Fellows and trainees including community-based specialists.
In the latest President’s message, Associate Professor Mark Lane said the College was emphasising the need for government support for the frontline of the crisis, “specifically in relation to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and health and safety considerations”.
“Through the media, we’re calling on governments to ensure all specialist physicians, as well as GPs, have access to PPE. We have also raised the issue with the Australian Federal Health Minister’s office and the Department of Health and are also talking with New Zealand authorities,” his message said.
The RACP had received “concerning reports” of difficulties accessing PPE, particularly outside the hospital system.
“The inability of specialist physicians in private and non-hospital community-based practices to access PPE may lead to some services not being able to continue,” his colleague and RACP President-elect Professor John Wilson said earlier.
“This is the last thing we need in the current environment.”
Sydney gastroenterologist Dr Katie Ellard told the limbic she was more concerned about procedures such as endoscopy which had been identified by GESA as a risky environment.
“The concern is when we do an upper endoscopy, we are putting little droplets into the air which stay there for about 30 minutes – particularly when you are using transnasal humidified rapid-insufflation ventilatory exchange (THRIVE).”
I‘ve just done a list at the Mater and normally I would wear a gown and gloves and my normal glasses, but today I am wearing a theatre mask and I am also wearing a visor over my face and changing obviously after each patient.”
“The anaesthetist opted not to use THRIVE because he didn’t want to have this problem of putting increased droplets into the air.”
Dr Ellard said the hospital had made sure she had all of the necessary equipment as per the GESA guidelines.
“The GESA guidelines have also suggested that the patients wear a theatre mask when they come into the unit. Now some people feel that if that happens we will run out of theatre masks.