Our special guest - Hon Brad Hazzard MP
A special meeting via ZOOM was held tonight. Our Guest was Hon Brad Hazzard MP, who is a senior Cabinet Minister in the NSW Government and has been the Minister for Health and Medical Research. He gave a short precis of his career then outlined the unprecedented challenges that he and other Health Ministers in all states have and continue to deal with over the last two years due to the Covid 19 pandemic. He answered many questions from the audience and highlighted the urgent need for a booster Covid vaccination.
Brad is a local having attended Manly West Public school followed by Manly Boys High School (when it was boys-only), then Macquarie University. He started his professional life as a science teacher at North Sydney Boys’ High School, then later studied law at the University of NSW and was admitted as a solicitor in 1977. He also holds a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney.
Brad has been a member of the NSW Liberal Party since 1983; in that time he has held several executive positions, including ‘Regional President’ and member of the ‘State Executive’. He entered Parliament in 1991 as the State Member for Wakehurst, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Much of his political career in the New South Wales Parliament has been served on the front bench. Brad held 17 portfolios in opposition, while maintaining a strong local presence in his electorate. In his current ministerial role, he has overseen record investment in health infrastructure and services, which has resulted in a hospital building boom across the state and the funding of thousands of new frontline positions.
The importance of Health in Government: Each year, about 3 million people go through the NSW Health system in the wards. The NSW system is the largest public sector/department/ministry in the country, having 170 thousand staff - about two & half times the size of our defence force by comparison. This year’s budget is $30Billion: almost a third of the entire state budget and growing. This figure is further increased with mainly GP related expenditure via the Federal budget.
Covid has required a further $4Billion in the last 2 years to address community needs in NSW, accompanied by enormous challenges: notably over 700 press conferences with senior medical and community staff and officials. Most of these one-and-a-half press conferences took up to 5 hours of preparation by key staff and frequently some other ministries -phone calls could start at 5am and often continue into the night &/or early morning. As the Alpha variant mutated into Delta variant then into Omicron BA1 and now to BA2; the message has necessarily altered - the announcements, requirements, and other communications to members of the communities throughout the state has had to make changes. He thanked the local Northern Beaches community for their responsiveness and cooperation facing the challenges of lockdowns, however emphasised that currently obtaining a booster shot is most urgent.
Several questions were then asked including:
What are pluses and minuses of life in politics:
· very demanding career, challenging with family life.
· when not parliament isn’t sitting, it is still very long days visiting establishments and/or meeting with management and staff.
· often long sessions until early hours occur in parliament.
· need to really want to serve the community and be prepared to give up a lot of your private life.
· high security impacting one’s private life.
The frequent changes in Covid advice to the public – can this be improved:
· Fast decisions were necessary with both Delta & now Omicron to keep people safe and alive.
· Moreover, in March 2020, there was modelling predicting 20 -25 thousand deaths in NSW by end 2020.
· Decisions had to be made quickly as more information became available.
· Other agencies need to be brought into the mix to ensure successful procedures and protocols were put in place.
Nurse shortages can we cope into the future:
· 5 thousand new nurses have been employed in the last 4 years
· It costs $1.5million for every 10 new nurses & is a massive tax burden.
· Despite the union campaign, medical staff rarely complain - they care deeply about their work.
· 8,300 new staff are being employed over the next 4 years which includes 5,000 nurses with 45% into the regions.
Can the funding model of state and federal be improved of centralised?
· There are different responsibilities under the constitution separating federal & state.
· Medicare GP payments have not kept pace with costs of running a medical practice
· The 45/65 funding agreement with the federal government and all states is a challenge. This partnership cost for paying for hospitals - all staff & hospital services, is not equitable and every state thinks 50/50 is fairer.
Is a fourth vaccination seen as necessary?
· The biggest issue is most of the population still need to get their booster – 3rd dose.
· State and territory governments are currently focused on people getting the 3rd shot
· Individual people who are immunocompromised it may be appropriate.
· Possibly in the coming year, a combination annual Codid/Flu shot may evolve.
· Moreover, whilst the Omicron strain is less severe, it is far more transmissible than the previous strains; so more people are contracting Covid and a higher proportion are suffering symptoms and higher numbers are in hospitals, ICUs and unfortunately are dying. The unfortunate complacency about this variant; Omicron’s severity is therefore dangerous. The epidemiologists are therefore worried about newer/other variants emerging in our community.
· There is complacency emerging, even recent sufferers of Omnicom should still get their booster after 4- 6 weeks.
Antibodies levels in the community: Are blood tests to check this in the population planned?
· Population-wide studies have been discussed however the cost benefit isn’t apparent.
· Vaccines that are available and being used are dropping off in their immunity levels in individuals after 3-4 months after the 2nd or 3rd (booster) dose.
· New subvariants currently known to circulating now require optimal immune systems, so the cost of individual tests is not underpinned with the epidemical evidence.
The possibility of other treatments vs vaccination for Covid for preventing people being admitted to hospital
· Early response with any alternative treatment is key (within 2-3 days of contracting the disease).
· This situation is analogous to use of TAMIFLU with influenza management.
· Unfortunately, people don’t present for treatment with this virus until the second week, so whilst such drugs and similar antiviral regimens may become available, the possibility of being in general use is currently very limited.
· Any treatment measures need approval by the TGA and alternative approaches are not currently endorsed.
What learnings have we gained from information being communicated to peoples about Covid.
· Many people in Sydney South-West and Western Sydney don’t use the media that most other people use; many regularly watch satellite broadcasts from outside Australia.
· Advise they were getting said that Covid wasn’t serious, not a problem and varied differently from our situation in Australia and their Sydney suburb or region in the state. The North-western suburbs of Melbourne had a similar problem - regular commutation between the health departments and ministers was and still occurs frequently.
· Reaching out to these people needed to utilise their religious and broader ethnic community leaders; individual to each and sometimes many in a particular community. Use of these leaders need regular and frequent updates – just like with traditional media.
· Accessibility to transport of vaccination clinics was another factor; thus, decisions on location came into play in many of these areas.
· The significant differences that exist in our multicultural community and how best to reach to out to the people in a reasonable, compassionate, and sensible way that builds trust was a major learning.
· This is still a large challenge due to the importance of getting a booster shot.
· Moreover, the reaching and convincing of readers, listeners and viewers of traditional media about the importance of the booster is an equal challenge. This problem is facing every state and territory at present.
· The current news about the widespread major floods and the tragedy in Ukraine has greatly lessened exposure of information about the risks that are still present with Omicron and importance of the booster shot.
Everyone warmly thanked Minister Brad Hazzard for taking the time to address our meeting and especially their appreciation with helping create then spearhead many of the amazing efforts to help combat Covid over the last two years. From the setting up of Covid testing sites in many locations, the daily testing and getting the results quickly sent out; the regular and important communication updates; along the pressures experienced by both governmental and health staff and showcasing and uplifting of the immeasurable dedication demonstrated by the doctors, nurses, ambulance and hospital departments and staff.
--ooOoo--
Golf Day: now Sept 9
- $2,000 Advertising in Northern Beaches Review
- 2 nights accomodation at the Manly Pacific with extras
- Dive Centre Manly - Scuba Diving Experience
- Champagne Sailing Harbour Cruise Gift Voucher for 7 people. 4 hours yacht charter on Sydney Harbour
- Scenic World Blue Mountains pass for 2 adults & 2 children
Calendar:
March 15th 2022 Formal Meeting
Balgowlah Rotary Club Meeting
Balgowlah RSL Wine Room from 7pm and via Zoom
New member - Welcome Michael Brent
Dinner available in Bistro from 6 pm
March 18-19th 2022 District 9685 Rotary Conference
Friday -Dinner Saturday - Plenary Sessions
District 9685 Conference at West HQ, Rooty Hill
March 25th 2022 Charity Golf Day & Dinner
POSTPONED to September 9th
Annual Charity Golf Day and Dinner at Wakehurst Golf Club.
Postponed due to the unprecedented bad weather and flooding.
A great day and evening while raising much needed funds for the projects we support for youth and group in need.
Save the date Sept 9. Bookings open.
April 5th 2022 Formal Meeting
Balgowlah Rotary Club Meeting
Balgowlah RSL Wine Room from 7pm and via Zoom
Guest Speaker TBC Dinner available in Bistro from 6 pm
April 5th 2022 Board Meeting
Balgowlah Rotary Board Meeting
Balgowlah RSL Wine Room from 8.30pm and via Zoom
April 19th 2022 Formal Meeting
Balgowlah Rotary Club Meeting
Balgowlah RSL Wine Room from 7pm and via Zoom
Guest Speaker - Sonya Mears from Streetwork - GM Transformation & Creative Services. Dinner available in Bistro from 6 pm
May 3rd 2022 Club Vocational Youth and Community Awards
Balgowlah Rotary Awards Night at Wakehurst Golf Club, Upper Clontarf St, Seaforth from 6.30pm
May 8th 2022 Cars'n Clues Road Rally -rescheduled
Join the fun for the whole family. Rescheduled from 28th November 2021. Answer clues at spots around the Northern Beaches. Great Prizes. Start at Seaforth Oval.
May 31st 2022 Dr Ray Hodgson Special Event
"Heartbreak in the Himalayas"
Talk by Dr Ray Hodgson about plight of women in Nepal and aim to build a hospital for women in there. A talk well worth listening to.
Balgowlah RSL Wine Room from 7pm and via Zoom. Dinner available in Bistro from 6 pm.
July 30th 2022 Fundraiser Dance.
This is TENTATIVE but watch this space, possible venue is Pittwater RSL
Save the date. To be advised.
September 9th 2022 Charity Golf Day & Dinner
Annual Charity Golf day and Dinner at Wakehurst Golf Club.
A great day and evening while raising much needed funds for the projects we support for youth and group in need.
Save the date. Bookings open.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
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