Coronavirus

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:29): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding public health.

Leave granted.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Yesterday, the Minister for Health took many questions on notice, including those relating to intensive care beds and whether there was expert health advice not to release such information. My questions to the minister are:

1. Exactly how many extra ICU beds are being created?

2. When will they be ready and where will they be?

3. How many acute cases of COVID-19 does our state have the capacity to deal with at any one point in time?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:30): There is no doubt that the onset of COVID-19 will put pressure on our ICU capacity. We have seen that around the world. While Australia is ahead of the curve, we have to plan for every eventuality, and that will include significant pressure on our ICU capacity. South Australia is well placed in terms of ICU beds and ventilators, but the key challenge is to expand and upskill our workforce in the delivery of ICU-level care.

Across the system, we have more than 300 beds and a further 60 ventilators for extra surge capacity. In my conversations with Dr Evan Everest, the Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, his plan is that we would use some of those 60 ventilators in places that are not normally ICU beds. The reality is that, in a situation where the hospital system is experiencing a surge, we may need to do things that are unorthodox.