Question Time

Coronavirus

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. What contingency measures is the Minister for Health taking to ensure the normal operation of SA Health and, in particular, its commitments to patients on elective surgery waiting lists if the coronavirus outbreak intensifies here?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:22): I thank the honourable member for his question, particularly because it's the first direct question asked by the opposition in either house this parliamentary year.

For those who weren't aware, the coronavirus disease started to emerge in China in late 2019. It has received very significant public attention and particularly public attention by health authorities. In that regard, I would like to pay public tribute to the work of Associate Professor Nicola Spurrier, not only for her work in the public health response but, referring to the honourable member's question, for her work in—what I would call, broadly—preparedness.

If I could go to the first element, because the initial response is the foundation for preparedness: in the first period, from when the first case was detected in South Australia, the response of the public health team has been exemplary. In that regard, I seem to recall that the first two cases of people with coronavirus were admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 1 February 2020, and I am absolutely delighted to be able to inform the council that today the third confirmed case is to be discharged from the Royal Adelaide Hospital. That is great news for all three patients who have experienced coronavirus in South Australia, and it stresses to people what I think is often misunderstood, that coronavirus is a very threatening condition but the vast majority of people who suffer from it suffer relatively mild symptoms.

A nation such as Australia is very fortunate with public health clinicians of the calibre of Associate Professor Spurrier and Dr Chris Lease in the health protection space. We have seen that in this first wave. I can assure you that from the very earliest period of our public health response, planning was being done on scenarios. Of course, that does not happen in a state alone. My understanding is that the AHPCC, the lead group of clinicians and chief medical officers from around Australia, has been meeting through teleconference every day for the last month.

That work is just as Professor Spurrier's team is focused on both the public health response and the preparedness going forward, and it is also the work that is being done at the national level. Not only is it useful in terms of logistics, because many of the resources we draw upon are shared, it's also useful in terms of clinicians at the highest level being able to discuss the best response to the coronavirus.

In terms of the contingencies, as the honourable member refers to them—I call them preparation plans or business continuity plans—work is being done well beyond that of the public health team. All of the local health networks have been working on preparedness. For example, Dr Spurrier this morning indicated that every hospital in metropolitan Adelaide is planning for a coronavirus clinic.

This is an opportunity to manage an infectious disease in a way which minimises the potential disruption to the hospital as a whole. They are being managed by the local hospitals and the local health networks, with the oversight of the public health team, and, to be frank, linking in to a whole-of-government approach.

All my colleagues appreciate that their businesses, their departments, their agencies may well be disrupted by the coronavirus, just like every other business and activity in South Australia. I would urge people to be thinking about not only what plans they might need to make for whatever comes but it is also important for businesses to do the same.