KDHS joins two regional pandemic plans

Jun 29, 2020

KYABRAM District Health Service (KDHS) has jumped on board with two separate regional pandemic plans in a move to better protect residents against subsequent outbreaks of COVID-19.

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The Hume Region Cluster Plan involves 25 health and aged care services over 33 sites, while the Loddon Mallee Cluster Plan combines the resources of 18 public health services, two private hospitals, five community health services and two bush nursing centres.

Both plans include Ambulance Victoria and the Murray Primary Health Network to effectively treat and move patients should localised outbreaks of COVID-19 occur.

KDHS chief executive Anne McEvoy said this was an important step forward in protecting the wider community against COVID-19.

“The plan will ensure that if a second wave occurs there will be clear guidelines to ensure patients who are well enough are treated at Kyabram and those who require higher level care are transferred to the appropriate hospital to provide the required care,” she said.

“By helping flatten the curve and practicing social distancing, the community has given us time to create this plan. We thank them for doing the right thing and helping us become better prepared.

“The cluster plan is an additional piece of work done to prepare the region for COVID-19.”

The Cluster Plans also cater for a sharing of services for high-risk patients in areas like oncology, dialysis and maternity should a localised outbreak impact service delivery for a specific health service.

They also provide information on COVID-19 assessment clinics and best practice approaches to outbreaks in residential care facilities.

Goulburn Valley Health and Albury Wodonga Health are the COVID-19 sites with intensive care beds in the Hume Region, while Northeast Health Wangaratta is a non-COVID-19 site with intensive care capacity.

Bendigo Health, Mildura Base Hospital and St John of God Hospital Bendigo are the intensive care hubs for the Loddon Mallee Region.

Echuca and Swan Hill hospitals have higher level acute medical care while the remaining 14 rural health services can provide acute and community-based care for COVID-19 patients.