Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton has not ruled out deploying more military personnel if the need arises in the aged care sector.
His comments follow the Morrison government’s announcement on Feb. 7 that 1,700 defence personnel would be dispatched to assist the aged care sector with its COVID-19 response.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel will be sent to facilities across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia from Feb. 9.
“We will do more if required, the prime minister’s been very clear about us making sure that people are treated with dignity,” Dutton told the Nine Network on Feb. 8.
“If we need more we will do more, but we’ve sent planners to stabilise the situation.”
In a statement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the ADF was not a “shadow workforce” to replace skilled aged care workers.
“But they will assist across facilities including logistics and general duties tasks. For example screening of entrants to facilities, providing companionship to residents, supporting with meals and other non-direct care functions to take the pressure off qualified aged care workers and medical staff.”
The assistance comes on top of existing measures by the government to help aged care organisations handle the outbreak of Omicron.
Currently, around 500 COVID-19 deaths have been linked to the sector, but Defence Minister Dutton was quick to point out that overall deaths in aged care had not increased.
“In aged care each year, there are about 1,000 people a week who die—that number hasn’t increased over the course of COVID,” he said.
“They’re dying with COVID, not from COVID in many instances.”
Sean Rooney, CEO of Leading Age Services Australia, was thankful for the government’s support.
“The big issue we’ve got is that these issues around staff numbers and staffing levels are not new,” he told the Nine Network.
“We thank the government for the ADF personnel right now, but we need to get back to fixing the fundamentals, ensuring that we have enough staff who are adequately skilled and qualified and appropriately paid.”
COVID-19 has claimed 15 lives at the facility, with 100 residents and 82 staff testing positive, according to figures from the federal Health Department.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) has issued Jeta Gardens with a “notice to agree” to fund staff training on infection prevention and control
The facility last year was subject of a non-compliance notice after the ACQSC found its COVID-19 outbreak management plan was deficient.
