Greg Hunt countered Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ assertions aged care staff aren’t providing appropriate levels of care in a press conference yesterday.
Mr Hunt spoke of his father’s own experience in aged care while providing an update on the new Federal Government resources being dedicated to suppressing outbreaks in Victorian aged care homes.
“The idea that our carers, that our nurses are not providing that care, I think, is a dangerous statement to make,” he said.
“They are wonderful human beings, and I will not hear a word against them.”
“I cannot imagine better care that my family and my father could have got.”
The Health Minister supported the decision by the Victorian State Government to make additional hospital beds available for residents who need to be evacuated.
“Where there are patients that need that support, they must be given it,” he said.
“There can be no excuses. The beds are available. The workforce is available.”
Mr Hunt also announced the following measures to support the aged care response in Victoria:
- The establishment of the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (which started on Monday).
- The deployment of Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AUSMAT) to Victoria (the same teams that were sent to the outbreaks in northern Tasmania)
- Call outs for interstate nursing staff (mainly from South Australia)
- The allocation of a further five million masks from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS) and 500,000 reusable face shields for aged care staff in Melbourne and the Mitchel Shire
“All of these measures are coming together to provide that additional support for our beautiful older Australians who are one of the reasons that we've taken such difficult measures, because they are so vulnerable,” he said.
