Supplies of N95 face masks for Victorian health care workers have reportedly fallen to "alarmingly low" levels and doctors are calling for action to ensure frontline workers are properly protected. Speaking on Today Altona GP and former President of the Australian Medical Association Dr Mukesh Haikerwal said the availability of adequate PPE equipment for health care workers varies from location to location. Source: 9News https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-victorian-doctors-call-for-action-on-face-mask-shortage/2a63e42f-0905-40a4-8eb6-182667cceece

A surge in COVID-19 cases around Altona North has prompted a group of local doctors, frustrated with Victoria's contact tracing system, to get together to manage positive coronavirus cases in their community. Led by former Australian Medical Association president Mukesh Haikerwal, the group from different practices reached out to the health department, the Hobson Bay council and community leaders to manage cases last Friday. Source: ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-09/gps-altona-north-band-together-covid-19-surge-contact-tracing/12642014

Almost 17,000 COVID-19 tests were processed in the last 24 hours. That's up from 9,000 yesterday - but still below the target of 20,000 tests each day. To discuss, @mikeamor7 spoke with  @DrMukeshH , head of the Altona North Respiratory Clinic and former AMA President. #7NEWS Source: 7 News https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1303588366248603649

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] There's growing hope that we're through the peak of the COVID second wave, as the number of cases continues to fall - but it's come at a tragic cost - our deadliest day so far. 19 people died in 24 hours - the youngest was just 51. Source: 7News https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSMelbourne/videos/692360878014179/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Dr Mukesh Haikerwal runs a respiratory clinic in the Melbourne coronavirus hotspot of Altona North. He says he is often the sole point of contact for his patients who test positive. "When I ring the patient directly, sometimes two weeks, sometimes three weeks after their positive test, some of them have not actually even been contacted once," he told 7.30."And some people, the same family with multiple family members, have got zero answers." Dr Haikerwal said health workers are struggling to cope with the scale of the second wave. "I think the system is broken. I think the DHHS are

  Suburban doctors say they have been sidelined in the pandemic response, with poor communication between the health bureaucracy and local GPs contributing to potentially fatal delays in containing outbreaks.  Source: The Age  https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/lost-in-transmission-gps-forgotten-in-covid-19-response-20200726-p55fky.html