1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Obviously, we just spoke to the Australian Medical Association's NT President, 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: doctor Robert Parker, following on from the concerns that were 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: raised earlier in the week about the lack of mobile 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: well any mobile phone coverage a little earlier in the 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: week and the issues that that was causing out at 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: the hospital. Now joining us in the studio right now 7 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: is Nick dangs Now. Nick is indeed tel Stress Regional 8 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: general manager. 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 2: Good morning to you dang. 10 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 3: Cy morning Katie. How are you yeah? 11 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 2: Really good? Thanks so much for your time this morning. 12 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: Now where are things ash out at Royal Darwin Hospital. 13 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 4: Well, first of all, I want to apologize in in 14 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 4: convenience it cause to the hospital and the staff out 15 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 4: there and the patients out there. Obviously it's not something 16 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 4: that we wanted to do, but with the way the 17 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 4: situation of the tower was, it desperately needed upgrading. It's 18 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 4: something we'veen working on for a while, getting lots of 19 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 4: issues from people who work around Tewii and live in 20 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 4: Tiwi and it was something that needed to be done. 21 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 4: We did look at postponing it because we didn't send 22 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 4: out some messages which I talk out a moment, but 23 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 4: at the end of the day, it would had to 24 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 4: be done at some stage. So again apologize the inconvenience. 25 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 4: But as we sit on Wednesday, if I don't lose 26 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 4: track on my day's sms's and voice came back online. 27 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 4: And as of eleven o'clock yesterday or thereabouts eleven ish, 28 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 4: the data came back online. So I just had her 29 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 4: Doctor Parker saying he couldn SMS. Simple thing to try 30 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 4: there would be to turn your phone on and off 31 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 4: again in case it's just lost something off the phone. 32 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 4: Because we have tested the service this morning, and I'm 33 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 4: going to leave here again now that I've heard doctor Parker, 34 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 4: I'll do a drive by into it. See if, like 35 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:24,559 Speaker 4: I said, an SMS ye, but it is the system 36 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 4: is fully up and working from ours and upgraded, so 37 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,639 Speaker 4: you should get fast as data speeds, and you should 38 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 4: get obviously voice and text working again. 39 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: That is good to hear it now. 40 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: Look, I think the big concern at this point. I 41 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,639 Speaker 1: know that you did just apologize for what has happened 42 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: over recent days, but the situation out there at the 43 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: hospital is obviously it can be a life and death 44 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: situation if if someone's not able to contact another doctor 45 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: or somebody else at the hospital. 46 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 2: Why didn't tell stra sort of prioritize that or let 47 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 2: people know. 48 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 4: First of all, none of the hospital critical services were 49 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 4: actually affected, so their landlines, their computers, all that patient 50 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 4: information stuff that wasn't affected. What was affected was the 51 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 4: standard mobile phone, so SMS, text, obviously, voice calls and data. 52 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 4: Because basically we had to strip the tower down and 53 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 4: put all new equipment onto it. That removes the power 54 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 4: off it the whole lot. So again, it was didn't 55 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 4: affect any of the critical services from the hospital itself. 56 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 4: Why it wasn't sent out is what normally would happen 57 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 4: when we do a mobile tower is we send out 58 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 4: an SMS per stream SMS to everybody, and people who 59 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 4: live in Catherine during the show period, anybody would have 60 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 4: known that we were sending SMSs about the three G closure. 61 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 4: The problem we're sending it from a metro area is 62 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 4: everybody gets it, even though it doesn't affect everybody, because 63 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 4: if you're closer to another tower, it wouldn't affect you, 64 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 4: is it. 65 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: I might still get the message here in Darwin City, 66 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: if you did. 67 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 4: A drive by the hospital area, you would get the 68 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 4: SMS for you even though it's not affecting yours. So 69 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 4: the decision was made not to do that. We've decided 70 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 4: and got together and as doctor Parker said, we've had 71 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 4: a lot of conversations about this over the last three 72 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 4: or four days. 73 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 3: From now on, SEMSS will be done for all of 74 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 3: the upgrade no matter what. 75 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 4: And one of the officers we're going to make and 76 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 4: we've spoken, is that I'm more than happy to come 77 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 4: on once a month and just talk about the upgrades 78 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 4: across the territory and trust me in. By the end 79 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 4: of twenty four and all of twenty five. There is 80 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 4: a lot going on. How it springs, the coally Acacia Hills, 81 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 4: we've just turned on middle Point, there's a lot. 82 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 3: Douglas Daley's another ones. There's a lot. 83 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 4: Happening, so their tower upgrades or brand new tower built 84 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 4: and upgrades and all sorts. So there's a fair bit 85 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 4: going on in the Northern Territory right the way. Galliwink, 86 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 4: who's only two weeks away before that, gets upgraded, So 87 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 4: there's a fair bit happening here in the NT. 88 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: Well. 89 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 2: Look, Dancy, we're happy to have you on more regularly. 90 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: You know, every time you come on you're going to 91 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: get questions about people with issues with their coverage. 92 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 4: I'm happy to take them. I don't think there's many 93 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 4: people who don't have my number anyway, So I'm moore 94 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 4: and happy to take those messages and more than happy 95 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 4: to be honest with people and tell people what we're 96 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 4: doing and what we can and can't do. 97 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. Look, and so by the sounds of things with 98 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: the situation that's happened as well at Royal Darwin Hospital 99 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: earlier this week, it does sound as though really you 100 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: want to make sure that that's not happened doesn't happen again, 101 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: as in people are notified so they know exactly what's 102 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: going on. 103 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, I just come off a funkal for a guy 104 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 4: here and the grievance just to send an SMS out, 105 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 4: even though again, if we did an upgrade to the tower, 106 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 4: it's a duck pind or someone like that people who 107 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 4: drive past it to get the SMS. But that's probably 108 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 4: better let more people know than not that people knows 109 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 4: what where I've come from the Northern Territory. 110 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, well I think and also like I know in 111 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: recent weeks, you know, I've like because I go out 112 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: to Marara obviously quite often for kids' sport and things 113 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: like that. I've been notified about different work that's happening 114 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 1: out there, despite the fact that I don't live out 115 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: that way. 116 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 3: That that was because decision was made. 117 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 4: Again I don't know, well, I will leave, but there 118 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 4: was a decision decision made not to send it out 119 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 4: for the day in hospital because it was a metro area, 120 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 4: whereas Marara and whatnot, it did get sent out, and 121 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 4: so decision now is that we will send it out again. 122 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 4: Apologize for people that inconvenience over the last week or 123 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 4: so that we've been working on the day in hospital. 124 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 4: But the good news it is has been completed and 125 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 4: people will definitely see improvement. And I said, if doctor 126 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 4: Parker's not getting SMSs, he can either reboot his phone 127 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 4: and if he's still not getting it, he can contact 128 00:04:57,960 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 4: you and give him my number and then we can 129 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 4: handing because it should be it is back up and running. 130 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, good stuff. 131 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: Well, Nick Danks, the Telstra Regional general Manager, always appreciate 132 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: your time. Good to catch up with you. 133 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 2: Thank you.