❓ Mr. Kirkup raises concerns about COVID-19 testing equipment shortages and potential underestimation of cases. The Minister acknowledges initial supply chain disruptions but assures that national collaboration and procurement efforts are in place to ensure sufficient reagent supplies, while adhering to national testing guidelines.
AnsweredQoN 155Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
TESTING EQUIPMENT
155. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Health:
I refer to claims by the tertiary
hospitals medical advisory service about the extremely limited availability of
test infrastructure and supplies in Western Australia, resulting in rationing
in our state. Can the minister confirm that there is a shortage of testing
equipment in Western Australia and that such a shortage and rationing might
result in an underestimation of positive COVID-19 cases in our state?
TESTING EQUIPMENT
155. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Health:
I refer to claims by the tertiary
hospitals medical advisory service about the extremely limited availability of
test infrastructure and supplies in Western Australia, resulting in rationing
in our state. Can the minister confirm that there is a shortage of testing
equipment in Western Australia and that such a shortage and rationing might
result in an underestimation of positive COVID-19 cases in our state?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
Last Thursday, I think it was, we had reassurances from all our suppliers—the
main supplier for reagents in this instance is Roche—that the supply
chain was intact and that there would be no problems fulfilling ongoing orders.
Late that afternoon, we got the exact opposite advice. Members may like to
speculate why all of a sudden those supply chains were severed or disrupted;
nevertheless, the effect is the same. We obviously had to put in place a number
of plans. The key plan, of course, was to make sure that we tested only those
people who fitted the national guidelines for testing and that we applied that
criteria assiduously. There were two implications of that. First, we had to
make sure that everyone in the metropolitan area presented only to the COVID
clinics, which are located at each of our adult tertiary hospitals, to properly
make sure that only those who fitted the criteria were given the test. For one
reason or another, we had good reason to believe that people were presenting
with false information in order to secure a test via their GP. Those measures
were put in place. The measures in place at that time remain for regional Western
Australia, so they can continue to access those sorts of tests via their GP if
they meet the criteria.
Since then, the national cabinet has
been formed. It met and concluded that it would take a national approach to the resourcing of health jurisdictions throughout
Australia for COVID-19 consumables. Specifically, that goes to the personal protective equipment, especially masks,
swabs and reagents, which are used to test for the COVID-19 virus .
Incidentally, reagents are also used to test for other infectious diseases, but
obviously at the moment it is mainly being used for that. Over the weekend, I had
discussions with the federal Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, who outlined the
measures that the federal government was taking to secure supplies of all three
elements. They include working with a manufacturer of PPE in Shepparton to
ensure that it can scale up and produce a larger proportion of Australia's needs, securing extra
supplies from overseas and making sure that we have an emerging capacity for reagent supplies nationally. Those measures are in place and are performing, so
I can assure Western Australians that we have every confidence that we will
have reagents. That is not to say that we will not use them carefully and that
we will not stick to the national guidelines to ensure that we test only those
people for whom it makes sense. Testing someone who has not returned from
overseas or who is not symptomatic is really just a waste of that person's
time and our resources. We do not want to do that. Worse still, it could
provide that person with a false sense of security that they do not have the
virus, even though the virus might be in the incubation stage. I assure members
of the public that we have sufficient reagent supplies. We continue to work on
spot-purchasing opportunities and we are working with the federal government on
the national regime. Western Australians can have every confidence that we will
have it in good supply for the future.
Last Thursday, I think it was, we had reassurances from all our suppliers—the
main supplier for reagents in this instance is Roche—that the supply
chain was intact and that there would be no problems fulfilling ongoing orders.
Late that afternoon, we got the exact opposite advice. Members may like to
speculate why all of a sudden those supply chains were severed or disrupted;
nevertheless, the effect is the same. We obviously had to put in place a number
of plans. The key plan, of course, was to make sure that we tested only those
people who fitted the national guidelines for testing and that we applied that
criteria assiduously. There were two implications of that. First, we had to
make sure that everyone in the metropolitan area presented only to the COVID
clinics, which are located at each of our adult tertiary hospitals, to properly
make sure that only those who fitted the criteria were given the test. For one
reason or another, we had good reason to believe that people were presenting
with false information in order to secure a test via their GP. Those measures
were put in place. The measures in place at that time remain for regional Western
Australia, so they can continue to access those sorts of tests via their GP if
they meet the criteria.
Since then, the national cabinet has
been formed. It met and concluded that it would take a national approach to the resourcing of health jurisdictions throughout
Australia for COVID-19 consumables. Specifically, that goes to the personal protective equipment, especially masks,
swabs and reagents, which are used to test for the COVID-19 virus .
Incidentally, reagents are also used to test for other infectious diseases, but
obviously at the moment it is mainly being used for that. Over the weekend, I had
discussions with the federal Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, who outlined the
measures that the federal government was taking to secure supplies of all three
elements. They include working with a manufacturer of PPE in Shepparton to
ensure that it can scale up and produce a larger proportion of Australia's needs, securing extra
supplies from overseas and making sure that we have an emerging capacity for reagent supplies nationally. Those measures are in place and are performing, so
I can assure Western Australians that we have every confidence that we will
have reagents. That is not to say that we will not use them carefully and that
we will not stick to the national guidelines to ensure that we test only those
people for whom it makes sense. Testing someone who has not returned from
overseas or who is not symptomatic is really just a waste of that person's
time and our resources. We do not want to do that. Worse still, it could
provide that person with a false sense of security that they do not have the
virus, even though the virus might be in the incubation stage. I assure members
of the public that we have sufficient reagent supplies. We continue to work on
spot-purchasing opportunities and we are working with the federal government on
the national regime. Western Australians can have every confidence that we will
have it in good supply for the future.
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