AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1765033.htm
Last Update: Sunday, October 15, 2006. 7:00am (AEST)
The doctor who diagnosed the first case of SARS in Toronto has urged Australian governments to ensure front-line health workers are protected in the event of a flu pandemic.
Tom Stewart from Toronto University has addressed the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society's conference in Hobart.
Dr Stewart says seven of his colleagues became ill during the SARS outbreak in 2002, and three succumbed to the virus.
He says despite the risks, doctors and nurses rejected pleas from their families to stay at home.
"There was a lot of stress on my colleagues, and a lot of after-effects of that stress," he said.
"That could be better more improved by preparation, training, teaching, a plan on how we're going to deal with a surge of critically ill patients, where we're going to put them, who's in charge."
Hundreds of medical experts are discussing the scenario of an Avian influenza pandemic at the Hobart conference.
They say bird flu has already been detected in 53 countries, and if the virus spreads to Australia the predicted mortality rate is 35 per cent.
Professor Marcus Skinner, from Tasmania's North West Regional Hospital, says existing preparedness plans do not anticipate the rapid erosion of front-line hospital staff in the event of an avian flu outbreak.
"We need to be able to identify early these patients, so that they can go down the path of appropriate isolation and management and that at the same time we can protect our scarce staffing resources, particularly in rural areas," he said.
The conference concludes today.
.
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Last Update: Sunday, October 15, 2006. 7:00am (AEST)
The doctor who diagnosed the first case of SARS in Toronto has urged Australian governments to ensure front-line health workers are protected in the event of a flu pandemic.
Tom Stewart from Toronto University has addressed the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society's conference in Hobart.
Dr Stewart says seven of his colleagues became ill during the SARS outbreak in 2002, and three succumbed to the virus.
He says despite the risks, doctors and nurses rejected pleas from their families to stay at home.
"There was a lot of stress on my colleagues, and a lot of after-effects of that stress," he said.
"That could be better more improved by preparation, training, teaching, a plan on how we're going to deal with a surge of critically ill patients, where we're going to put them, who's in charge."
Hundreds of medical experts are discussing the scenario of an Avian influenza pandemic at the Hobart conference.
They say bird flu has already been detected in 53 countries, and if the virus spreads to Australia the predicted mortality rate is 35 per cent.
Professor Marcus Skinner, from Tasmania's North West Regional Hospital, says existing preparedness plans do not anticipate the rapid erosion of front-line hospital staff in the event of an avian flu outbreak.
"We need to be able to identify early these patients, so that they can go down the path of appropriate isolation and management and that at the same time we can protect our scarce staffing resources, particularly in rural areas," he said.
The conference concludes today.
.
<!-- PRINT_CONTENT_END --><!-- Start Story Attachments --><!-- End Story Attachments --><!-- Start Print and Email Table --><!-- Main Image -->