Since then we’ve seen ADF personnel being there in Victoria, supporting the ambulance service and issues of that nature. We’ve seen them supporting in different areas. Now they’ll be becoming a member of that effort. I need to be very clear about this. As I mentioned a number of weeks in the past, the defence drive should not a surrogate workforce for the aged care sector.
There are round 285,000 individuals who work within the aged care sector. So the concept that the defence forces can are available and simply exchange the entire shifts which might be misplaced as a result of individuals have Covid … we already relaxed the shut contact rule and that had an actual, constructive affect. However the thought the defence forces may simply merely are available and fill that hole is simply not real looking. And [it] was by no means a situation or an choice that was into consideration as a result of it’s simply merely not possible.
However they do and may and have supplied fairly focused help into the aged care sector in excessive conditions, a few of the most troublesome conditions. And the groups that we are going to be bringing collectively, simply 4 groups, might be positioned at 24 hours’ discover to maneuver from in the present day, and that may enhance as much as 10 groups at 24 hours’ discover and that’s to enter acute conditions, working collectively, with the well being departments and public well being companies in every of the states and territories.
These groups embody a registered nurse crew chief, some medical technicians and personnel to help basic duties … In every state and territory, it’ll start with round 50 personnel going to help every state and [then] as much as 200. So we’ll have as much as round 1,700 defence drive personnel helping.
