Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-04-30 Daily Xml

Contents

Coronavirus

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:02): Thank you for that answer and I commend SA Pathology on their testing. What you did not address is: what about the potential of these dodgy POC tests being used in South Australia? Are you aware if any of these are actually being used in South Australia? Will you instruct your department to have a look at these ones that are questionable?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:03): In terms of instructing my department to look at the ones that are questionable, with all due respect, I am not fussed if they are not used in South Australia, so let me focus on the South Australian aspect. Certainly, in any partnership that we have with private pathology and the commonwealth, the maintenance of the quality of the testing regime will be fundamental. It's obviously important that we have the throughput in tests. It's also important that those tests be reliable. I have no doubt that the commonwealth government has exactly the same commitment that we have to maintain the highest quality in COVID-19 testing because it's only then you can get reliable data and reliable information to act on.