Ministerial Statement

Extreme Weather Conditions

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:06): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Yesterday's extreme weather event significantly impacted our state's public hospitals. As a result of the power outage, SA Health immediately responded in line with the Statewide Emergency Management Plan, with all our local hospital networks activating their Business Continuity Plans to ensure continuity of care for our patients.

Demand on both our hospitals and ambulance services has been extremely high over the last 24 hours, and I want to thank our staff who have worked extremely hard to meet demand. In fact, our hardworking paramedics and SA Ambulance's Emergency Operations Centre experienced a peak of almost 500 per cent increase in call-outs during last night's weather event. I am advised that all metropolitan public hospitals are currently back on mains power. Some country hospitals are back on mains power, with some continuing to work on backup generator. Contingencies are in place at those sites.

During the power outage yesterday, generators provided emergency power to all South Australian hospitals. At Flinders Medical Centre, there was an issue with the main generator, which meant battery-powered backup was provided to lifesaving equipment in parts of the hospital. As a precaution, 17 intensive care patients were transferred to Flinders Private Hospital and, as is standard practice across the world in patient transfers, battery-operated and handheld ventilators were used. My latest advice is that all but two patients have now been transferred back to Flinders Medical Centre, and their care has been maintained throughout and was in no way compromised.

I am advised that the main generator at Flinders Medical Centre worked as it should for around one hour before stopping. I am advised that this was the result of a faulty fuel pump, which could not have been predicted. As per standard protocol, the main generator at Flinders Medical Centre had been successfully tested monthly to ensure it worked effectively and could handle the required power load. Additionally, in the lead-up to yesterday's significant weather event, testing was undertaken as recently as Monday this week with no issues found. I am advised the faulty fuel pump was fixed very quickly last night and the main generator was restored last night.

I would like to acknowledge the clinicians and staff at Flinders Medical Centre for their commitment to the care of their patients during this extremely challenging period. Any time there is a disruption or significant event, such as this extreme weather event, patients across our system are reviewed by our clinicians to determine whether anyone has been adversely affected. Further, there will be a thorough review into SA Health's response to this extreme weather event to ensure that our emergency response remains best practice.

I wish to stress that all South Australia's emergency departments are open and continuing to operate normally. However, due to the increased demand, South Australians are urged to only attend emergency departments if it is an emergency. Hospitals across the state have, where appropriate, postponed elective surgery procedures scheduled for today, and this situation will continue to be reviewed. Outpatient appointments will occur as normal, where appropriate, but if patients are unable to make it to their appointment they will be rescheduled for as soon as possible.

I would like to thank all our hardworking doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, dispatch operators and allied health professionals, for their commitment to providing South Australians with the care they need during this extreme event.