1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: Now, in that other news from throughout this morning, we 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: know that presentations at the Alice Springs Hospital increased from 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: eight hundred and fifty cases in the second quarter of 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two to nearly thirteen hundred by the fourth quarter, 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: during which time stronger. 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 2: Futures legislation ended. 7 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: On top of that, we know over the weekend and 8 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 1: doctor revealed the horrifying, confronting, demoralized way that staff are 9 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: feeling at the Alice Springs Hospital as they tried to 10 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: deal with extreme alcohol fueled violence and what's been described 11 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: as parental neglect in central Australia. One doctor had spoken 12 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: to Sky News, as I've mentioned throughout this week, on 13 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: the condition of being anonymous and telling Matt Cunningham that 14 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: the hospital had treated some horrendous situations. We also know 15 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: that nurse Rachel Hale, former nurse, has spoken nationally about 16 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: some further horrendous situations as we've just touched on with 17 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: just Enter Price. But joining me on the line right 18 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: now is the head of the AMA, the Australian Medical 19 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: Association here are in the Northern Territory, Doctor Robert Parker. 20 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Doctor Parker, Morning Katie, Doctor Parker, what. 21 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: Are you hearing on the ground in Alice Springs at 22 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: the moment out of the hospital. 23 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 3: Well, pretty much what's like. Cunningham reported that there's a 24 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 3: really bad situation going on in the ED because the 25 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 3: amount of alcohol and trauma. So it's obviously very distressing 26 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 3: to the people attending the ED. It's also very distressing 27 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 3: to staff, and has pointed out, you know, the we're 28 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 3: hearing it's very difficult now to recruit junior nursing and 29 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 3: junior medical staff to the hospital because people are being 30 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 3: the junior stuff are being made more and more aware 31 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 3: on their social media links about how difficult the working 32 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 3: conditions are. So yeah, it's proved a significant problem in 33 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 3: recruiting young doctors and nurses to come to the center 34 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 3: because of what they know potential experience. 35 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: And I guess, you know, it's one thing to be 36 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: treating patients and you know, and to be experiencing some 37 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: of the horrifying conditions that you will be dealing with 38 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: with patients, but then it is another as well to 39 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: on top of that, be having to grapple with assaults 40 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: and with your own staff being in dangerous situations. 41 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 3: That's exactly right. I mean, the government, to its credit 42 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 3: and following all this revelations that set up a transport 43 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 3: service for staff to make sure that they're or safely 44 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 3: transit from their accommodation in Our Springs to hospital and 45 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 3: back home again. So that's been one good thing that's 46 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 3: occurred from this. And hopefully there'll be more security staff 47 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 3: on the site to protect staff and patients from aggressive, 48 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 3: abusive individuals. 49 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: Well, there really needs to be, I mean, we spoke 50 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: to Cath Hatcher yesterday from the nursing I mean with Reunion. 51 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: She had said that she was aware of of a 52 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: nurse being set upon by up to sort of fifteen 53 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: youths at one point. She also said it was her 54 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: understanding that a doctor had been set assaulted. Dr Parker, 55 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: what is your understanding of that situation? 56 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 3: Well, and again it's just it's chaos, you know. The 57 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 3: I mean, we did tell the chiefments of six months 58 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 3: ago this was going to occur, and I actually did 59 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:19,119 Speaker 3: give her information about population based issues of alcohol from 60 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 3: North Queensland that you know, showed that this was the future. 61 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 3: But we were told human rights supervenes the damaging communities 62 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 3: and obviously, as I pointed out at the time, the 63 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 3: human rights of belligerent drunks overwhelmed the desperate human rights 64 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 3: of the women and children that they have views. So 65 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 3: you know, it's unfortunately the human rights moment and nothing 66 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 3: critical of this. They all live in so there's like 67 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 3: Merrick nol Carlton and whatever. I've got no concept of 68 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 3: the population based problems of alcohol indigenous communities, and that's 69 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 3: why I gave the Chief Minister the two of North 70 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 3: Queensland that showed the desperate situation resulting from the introduction 71 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 3: of license clubs here in the eighties and the massive 72 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 3: impact has had on physical and mental health outcomes in 73 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 3: those communities. I mean, when we've told her this was 74 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 3: going to happen, we told her this was the future 75 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 3: what was happening now, so you know, and wasn't just Ama, 76 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 3: it was also Aboriginal health organizations were very clear about 77 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 3: their major concerns about this. So she was very very 78 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 3: well aware of this what's happening now six months ago. 79 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: Look, I interviewed her on Monday and I asked her 80 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: them who she's consulting with, you know when it comes 81 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: to moving forward with alcohol restrictions and whether they're going 82 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 1: to have a ballot in Central Australia for the town 83 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: camps to determine whether they should be. 84 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: Able to have alcohol or not. 85 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: I'd ask her who she'd consulted with, and she'd said 86 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: that they'd been consulting with the Tongueanjira Town Council, which 87 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: is fair enough, but I can't understand why that consultation 88 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: is not also happening with the likes of the AMA, 89 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: with the likes of Congress, with the likes of AMSANT, 90 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: you know, all of the other groups as well who 91 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: are on the front line trying to assist and trying 92 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: to do the right thing by the community as things decline. 93 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 3: Well, I think those consultations occurred six months ago, as 94 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 3: I mentioned, and now she's trying to mop up the 95 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 3: mess that's occurred because our good advice was ignored. 96 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 2: And people seem frustrated. I mean, Rob, you sound frustrated. 97 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: Everybody seems frustrated because it seems like you all knew 98 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 1: what was coming and weren't being listened to. 99 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 3: That's correct. We told of the future, and that the 100 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 3: future's happened as we predicted. 101 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: Doctor Parker just having a look at these stats, so 102 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: we understand that there's been a fifty percent increase in 103 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: alcohol related presentation to ed in Alice Springs. That's according 104 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: to a report by Matt Garrick on the ABC. What's 105 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: your response to that, You're probably not overly surprised. 106 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 3: No, no, well, that is the future we predicted. We 107 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 3: told her there'd be massive increases in alcohol related from 108 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 3: But it's really the tip of the iceberg because we're 109 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 3: looking in all the damaged women and children, you know, 110 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 3: which is probably a much greater amount, you know, So 111 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 3: it's almost like the tip of the iceberg, with the 112 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 3: bottom of the iceberg being lots of massive amounts of 113 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 3: traumatized women and children and damage both physically and mentally, 114 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 3: which is obviously going to be a future major impact 115 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 3: on the health system when they turn up with their 116 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 3: own substance abuse, straight mental health issues and used to 117 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 3: come you know, so ingradiating as the tip of the iceberg. 118 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 2: Doctor Parker. 119 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: I Also it was confirmed on Monday by the Chief 120 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: Minister that hand sanitizers had been will have been labeled 121 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: an issue. They've had to be hidden away in Alice Springs, 122 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: taken off the public floor. 123 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 3: Well, that's right. When someone is desperate to get alcohol. 124 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 3: They're using anything available, you know, such as food, coloring 125 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 3: and other issues. You know, when people people who are 126 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 3: desperate to get an alcoholic skits will drink anything that's 127 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 3: got in it, you know, which is why meta lated 128 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 3: spirits has to has to be kept behind the counters 129 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 3: in most supermarkets so that people don't can't get metho. 130 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 3: You know, it's it's a pretty desperate situation, doctor Parker. 131 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 2: What do you think needs to happen? 132 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 3: Well, I think we need to get some I think 133 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 3: the opt in, where communities have to actually make a 134 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 3: decision to have alcohol in their community and justify it 135 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 3: is really what needs to happen, rather than the opt out. 136 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 3: And you know, because the problem is that bullying and 137 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 3: intimidation is very much part of any intimidation in part 138 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 3: of any community consultation. But the people who've got the 139 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 3: best interest in alcohol usually try and intimidate and and 140 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 3: bully the other members to make sure that they get 141 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 3: a vote in their favor. So we really need the 142 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 3: I suppose what the government is set up in the 143 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 3: Liquor Commission with with benchmarks for working out whether the 144 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 3: community will have alcohol and not in terms of community harm, 145 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 3: community benefit and that really needs to apply to all 146 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 3: the camps. So it really needs to be an application 147 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 3: for alcohol to those areas based on the benchmarks the 148 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 3: government's already established, doctor Parker. 149 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: Just in closing from your perspective at this point, is 150 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: the Ala Springs Hospital a safe place to work right now? 151 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 3: Well again, with the additional secure already started, I understand 152 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 3: of being employed and the trendsit that the government's organized. 153 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 3: I think it's much safer than it was a week ago. 154 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 2: Well that is good. 155 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, I am really pleased to hear that there 156 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: has at least been that immediate action, and I do 157 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: you know, I really hope that things improve the health 158 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: of Territorians, particularly you know, as you've touched on women 159 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: and children in Alice Springs. 160 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 3: That's right, and I mean I've always been concerned about 161 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 3: the invisible and or less visible victims of this community 162 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 3: alcohol issue that I was informing the Chief Minister about 163 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 3: six months ago. 164 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: Doctor Robert Parker, I always appreciate your time. Thanks very 165 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: much for joining us for the for the first time 166 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:42,719 Speaker 1: for twenty twenty three. No doubt we'll talk to you 167 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: again soon, Okay. 168 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 3: All the best for your Kadia thank you, thank you, 169 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 3: you're OK. 170 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 2: Thanks doctor Parker.