'Week from hell': Aged care patient's family outraged as 'disaster squad' brought in
A devastated Melbourne woman has hit out at the Victoria and federal governments as her elderly mother now fights for her life in hospital after contracting coronavirus in one of the worst-hit private aged care facilities.
Fotini Atzarakis, 77, only arrived at St Basil’s aged care home two weeks ago as her family looked to give her some relief for her progressed Parkinson’s disease.
But in just a matter of days, “all hell broke loose” at the facility, her daughter Kathy Bourinaris told Channel Nine’s Today show on Wednesday.
“It's been an absolute week from hell,” she said.
“Just devastating for our whole family. You know, for myself, my family, my brothers, their families, my poor father. It's unimaginable.”
St Basil’s is one of the facilities at the centre of the private aged care coronavirus crisis in Victoria that has seen more than 700 COVID-19 cases linked to 80 facilities.
As of Tuesday, The Fawkner facility had 86 cases linked to it, the second worst-hit care home in the state.
Ms Bourinaris lashed out at Premier Daniel Andrews and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, accusing them of inaction surrounding aged care facilities.
“All we heard was from the Premier and Prime Minister [was] ‘we need to look after the most vulnerable, the elderly. We need to look after them’,” she said.
“They said it countless and countless times, and what did they do? As far as I'm concerned, nothing.”
The daughter questioned whether enough personal protective equipment and training was made available for the sector at the start of the pandemic.
“Not enough was done, in any way. And even till this day, it's still a shambles. It's chaotic. It's just
not excusable, in any way,” she said.
She said it took up to six days to get residents inside the facility tested after the first confirmed infection.
No time for blame game, top doctor says
On Tuesday, Mr Andrews announced most category two and all category three elective surgeries will be cancelled and nurses will be redeployed in aged care facilities, while reiterating the crisis was a federal issue.
“I wouldn’t let my mum be in some of these places,” he told reporters.
He said residents will be moved out of virus-hit private facilities based on a clinical need.
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Mr Morrison told reporters the federal government was “doing everything it can” to tackle the crisis in what is a “very difficult” situation.
President of the Australian Medical Association Dr Anthony Bartone told Today it was not a time to be pointing the finger and a collective effort was needed to tackle the problem.
“There will be some strong words said. But that's just a reminder we need to get on and work, collaboratively to do the best thing by our patients our residents, our community in Victoria,” he said.
Dr Bartone said the sector facing intense scrutiny was nothing new, and the COVID-19 outbreaks had left facilities with severe staff shortages.
“This is where we suddenly realised the enormity of the shortage of workforce,” he said.
Medical disaster squad heads to Victoria
Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AUSMAT) and Australian Defence Force medics are being sent into the coronavirus-stricken aged care facilities, who Health Minister Greg Hunt described as “the best of the best”.
"They’ve assisted in quarantine, they’ve assisted in Western Australia, they’ve assisted in activities around the country and they are the best of the best,” he said.
"They are the SAS of the medical world.”
Mr Hunt said the federal government is also actively recruiting interstate medical staff to supplement Victorian nurses.
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