Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the discussion paper on the late effects of post-polio syndrome, and I also endorse the remarks made by the member for Shortland. I have spoken on this in the other chamber but would like to add some other areas to this particular effect, because I feel they are important and should be put on the record. I would also like to congratulate the member for Parkes, who is in the chamber and who, with the member for Shortland, initiated this discussion paper through the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing. It was their efforts that made sure that we now have a discussion paper which the Australian polio association feel that they can take forward with them and use to help further their cause.

The member for Shortland touched on the recommendations and also the employment aspect of the discussion paper, but there are a couple of areas that I want to highlight that I did not have time to mention the other day—that is, the physical aspects. We as members in this place take for granted that we can exercise and go out and use the gym and the swimming pool, and I see many members in this place who obviously do that.

An honourable member: The supreme athletes

Supreme athletes, as you say. We take those things for granted. We do not understand that the people who suffer from post-polio syndrome have difficulty just in exercising and that it can actually have a detrimental effect unless handled carefully. I would like to quote from part 2.99 of the discussion paper, which says:

As noted earlier physical therapies which alleviate symptoms of other chronic conditions, if used to treat people with LEOP/PPS may actually be detrimental. In particular participants commented on the need to carefully manage muscle strengthening and exercise programs to ensure that additional muscular damage does not occur. As Dr Tierney explained:

You should not overstress the muscles. If you exercise, it has to be very gentle. Obviously, with hydrotherapy you are in water and it is very gentle. That is the way to keep yourself fit. But if people start doing weightlifting or going to the gym those very poor connections into the muscles then start collapsing at a faster rate, and you get muscle weakness moving towards paralysis if you undertake the wrong exercise regime.

Part 2.101 of the discussion paper says:

While noting that many people with LEOP/PPS ultimately manage much of their own physical therapy, Mr Doran—

one of the witnesses—

cautioned that polio survivors first had to overcome a tendency to strive to achieve over and above what is required. In this regard Mr Doran noted:

... polio survivors have incredible mental stamina. What they do with that mental stamina is override the signs that things might be going wrong, because they have been used to doing that for most of their life. In particular, they override the fact that they might be feeling a little bit weak, they override the fact that they are absolutely exhausted, and they override the fact that they are in pain, because they have been told to shut up and get on with it for so long.

Another area I want to refer to is diagnosis, which I touched on in my speech the other day. The time it takes for post-polio syndrome diagnosis can be, on average, up to six years. Research has not been mentioned yet here, but it is briefly mentioned in the discussion paper. Part 2.137 of the discussion paper says:

While recognising the need for more research into LEOP/PPS in Australia, Dr Peel indicated that there are key centres of research in North America and Europe, noting:

The research, as we have already indicated, might be inadequate [in Australia] but, nonetheless, research does occur in North America, particularly in Canada at the Montreal Post-Polio Clinic, and also in Europe. As I have already mentioned, there is the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Also, a lot of the research comes from the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. The Danish Society of Polio and Accident Victims is another source of considerable research.

The other day when we had a hearing of the health and ageing committee, as mentioned by the member for Shortland, Dr Tierney, Julian Thomas, President of Polio Australia, and Mary-ann Liethof, the National Program Manager, and Peter Guard, from Polio New South Wales, spoke to us about the discussion paper. They endorsed the recommendations that the member for Shortland has just spoken about. As individuals we said to them: 'Keep up the good work. You're doing a fantastic job. You've taken it this far and have been working for a long time.' But this is an area where we need more focus, more research and, obviously, more resources for people who are suffering from post-polio syndrome. I would like to say, 'Keep up the fight.' The resources are needed and, along with the other members of the health and ageing committee, I commend this discussion paper to the House.

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