GP’s plea as fate of 20 Victorian respiratory clinics hangs in the balance

A general practitioner is urging the federal government to extend funding for respiratory clinics.

Federal contracts for the clinics are due to expire on December 31 and the government hasn’t provided advice on what will happen after that point.

GP and Rosebud Respiratory Clinic manager, Dr Sally Shaw, says Victoria’s 20 federally-funded clinics are in limbo and the federal government appears to be in a state of “total confusion”.

Press PLAY below to hear why Dr Shaw is concerned

“We’re seeing 100 patients a day,” she told Tony Jones, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

“Of the 100 patients who are coming to the clinic to be tested 50 have got COVID, there’s another 25 who have got influenza or another known respiratory virus, so 75 per cent of the people coming in every day have got a virus that needs treatment and it’s an infectious virus, so I don’t know how they think they could just ignore that.

“The government has got to have some sort of responsibility and some sort of policy going forward that protects us because you’re still having sometimes ten people a day dying.”

In a statement, a Department of Health and Aged Care spokesperson said “the Government will make further decisions on the Australia’s national COVID-19 response for 2023 shortly”.

“The Government is confident that there is sufficient coverage will remain in place to protect Australians with moderate respiratory symptoms through further waves.”

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