Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the very concerning and escalating crisis that is engulfing the people of Dubbo and the western part of New South Wales. As we speak, we know that there are 400 positive cases and that not only Dubbo but the towns of Goodooga and Wilcannia, and other towns along the Darling, are beginning to be severely impacted by COVID in their community. At this stage, 85 per cent of those positive cases are Aboriginal people. This is a massive crisis in the making. We might have felt previously that there was protection in isolation; that is no longer the case.

In my contribution today, I call on the Minister for Health for New South Wales and the minister for health federally, along with the Premier, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence, to have a look at this first massive break into our First Nations community. There is a capacity problem with Dubbo hospital. Narromine hospital nearby has been set up as a site for the reception of people from all over the western part of New South Wales. That will overflow very, very quickly. The Dubbo hospital is at risk of being swamped by this illness very, very quickly. In terms of a prescient response now, at this point in time, I call on those ministers that I have named to set up a field hospital close to Dubbo hospital, to provide triage and proper management and to also engage in delivering a proper retrieval and movement system—to make sure that people who have COVID get triaged properly and looked after where they are and transported to the level of care that they need.

We also really desperately need to build up capacity in this part of New South Wales. Are there doctors out there who can intubate? Is there sufficient oxygen? Do we have enough PPE? Do we have people who are properly trained in PPE and its use? What are the transport systems like? We cannot wait for this to get out of the gate. We need the ADF in there— (Time expired)