Coronavirus Doctor Apologizes Victoria Health Minister For "Inaccuracies" | News from the world

General practitioners joined a Melbourne doctor who tested positive for the coronavirus and asked the Victorian Minister of Health for an apology, who they said denounced the frontline health workers.

It occurs when the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia reaches 73.

Dr. Chis Higgins saw about 70 patients as he recovered from what he thought was a mild cold last week, before testing positive for Covid-19. He had arrived from the United States on Saturday morning.

All these patients, including two whom he visited at the Malverns Mecwacare retirement home, as well as all the clinical staff at the Toorak clinic where Higgins is a general practitioner, have since been asked to self-isolate during 14 days.

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said on Saturday that she was stunned that a doctor with flu-like symptoms had come to work and that her decision to continue treating patients if they were unwell may fall under the jurisdiction of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. to pursue.

I understand that our medical and health care workers are dedicated to their work, but it is irresponsible for people to go to work if they are not well, and it is not just health care workers, that’s "Everyone in the community has to take this very seriously," said Mikakos.

She didn't name the doctor, but the Toorak clinic only has eight general practitioners.

Higgins, the father of singer Missy Higgins, responded in a comment on Mikakoss' Facebook page, saying: As the concerned doctor, I was overwhelmed by the inaccuracies and injustice of your comments.

This is not the story that I told to the DHSS whose job is to pass on information to you. I had a slight cold when I returned from the United States last Saturday morning which was almost resolved by Monday morning, hence my decision to return to work.

I was hesitant to do a swab because I did not meet your criteria for the tests but I still did one on a Thursday evening for the sake of completeness, without imagining for a moment that this would happen. would prove positive.

I believe you have taken advantage of a cheap opportunity for political revenge and that you would appreciate an apology.

GPs rushed to support Higgins on social media, claiming that Mikakos owed him a public apology and should resign from his post as minister. Many doctors have stated that they work frequently when they have a mild cold.

They also criticized Mikakos for stating that general practitioners had all the resources.

As the general practitioner and owner of the clinic, I am extremely concerned about our ability to care for our patients in this pandemic with inadequate stocks of personal protective equipment [PPE], said Dr. Elaine Sung. It turns out that we also need to worry about ministers undermining our reputation when we follow ministerial guidelines.

Some doctors the ministers comment on, in addition to a shortage of PPE, meant they did not want to see patients who might have coronavirus.

They can all divert to the hospital and when all of their doctors are in solitary confinement, you can find a solution to the problem you have created, said Dr. Susan Swanston, in response to Mikakoss' message. Do not expect general practitioners to empty your overwhelmed health services, we do not owe you anything. You reap what you sow!

Mikakos responded to criticism on Saturday evening, saying public safety was his priority.

We will always protect the privacy of patients, she said in another Facebook article. However, we have a public health duty to the wider community to provide information on exposure points, which require details such as company locations and flights to be made public to allow the search for contacts.

I know it can be very difficult and distressing for the people concerned and I am deeply in favor of it, but public safety must be our priority.

She said she would continue to work with the federal government to ensure that general practitioners have the support they need, including access to the national stock of protective equipment individual such as masks.

The Australian government has purchased an additional 54 million masks for the national medical supply, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Sunday. Hunt said the masks would be made available to caregivers and senior caregivers.