Goya Dmytryshchak
An Altona North medical practice has become the first GP respiratory clinic testing for coronavirus in Melbourne’s west, as part of the federal government’s roll-out of 100 such pop-up clinics Australia-wide.
It comes as Health Minister Jenny Mikakos on Tuesday announced Victoria would have the widest testing criteria of COVID-19 in Australia.
She said anyone experiencing fever and respiratory symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath could ring ahead to be tested.
As of Tuesday, Victoria had 1291 cases, an increase of 10 since Monday. There have been 14 deaths statewide, while 40 people remain in hospital, including 15 in intensive care.
There are 13 cases in Hobsons Bay and 10 in Maribyrnong.
Victoria’s state of emergency has been extended to May 11 to help continue to contain the spread of COVID-19.
At Altona North, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal and partners run the Blackshaws Road pop-up clinic which was assembled from portables and tents over 10 days.
Dr Haikerwal said the respiratory clinic enabled treatment of multiple patients with breathing conditions, including COVID-19, who were unable to be seen in a normal GP practice.
Tests can be conducted without a change of personal protective gowns and masks, or shutting down and deep cleaning rooms between patients.
The clinic had been the first in Victoria to start swabbing people for coronavirus in the carpark until it ran out of gear.
“There were no masks and then there were no gowns and then there were no swabs, so we had to do something different,” Dr Haikerwal said.
“What we are doing now is … 50 or 60 tests with only one or two sets of gowns, one set of masks, and all you’re changing is your gloves.”
Dr Haikerwal said more coronavirus cases were expected to be detected as testing restrictions were relaxed.
“There’s more people now who are eligible for the test so there’s more coming forward to be tested,” he said.
“When this whole thing started, the joke was Indonesia is the safest place in the world to be because they weren’t reporting any cases, but they weren’t testing anybody.
“And of course, Bali was one of the earliest places that shut down after China.
“That’s why we need to do the testing.
“Australia must not fall asleep at the wheel or rest on its dubious laurels but look to the disaster in Europe and the USA and invest in the health of the nation and our people.
“Dropping the ball on health will be catastrophic.”
