The south-west's biggest hospital says it is ready if the coronavirus hits the region.
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As pandemic concerns escalate with Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing a national emergency plan, South West Healthcare chief executive officer Craig Fraser said while no patients had presented to the Warrnambool Base Hospital with the disease, the organisation was prepared.
"We have not treated any patient for coronavirus to date and want our communities to be assured that South West Healthcare is fully equipped and well-prepared to respond to any respiratory infectious disease, including coronavirus, that a patient may have, or be suspected of having," he said.
"Our Warrnambool Base Hospital has fully-compliant negative pressure rooms - among the most modern in regional Victoria."
Negative room pressure is an isolation technique used in hospitals and medical centres to prevent cross-contamination from room to room.
It includes a ventilation that generates negative pressure to allow air to flow into the isolation room but not escape from the room, as air will naturally flow from areas with higher pressure to areas with lower pressure, thereby preventing contaminated air from escaping the room.
This technique is used to isolate patients with airborne contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, or chickenpox and more recently, coronavirus.
Mr Fraser said any friends, family or colleagues who were unsure about COVID-19, or were worried about the risks, can visit dhhs.vic.gov.au/novelcoronavirus for updates and advice.
It comes as Mr Fraser welcomed new mandatory laws requiring all staff be fully immunised against a range of vaccine-preventable diseases including influenza, measles, whooping cough, chicken pox and hepatitis B.
"Again this year, we will strive to be the highest-immunised workforce possible. The new mandatory immunisation laws aim to create a safer environment for staff and consumers and underpin everything we have been working towards in recent years. This will keep our communities healthier and stronger," he said.
'When it comes to immunisation we're incredibly proud to be one of the health services leading the charge - and not just on the flu-fighting front. Two years ago we introduced a policy requiring all new staff and registered volunteers be immunised against measles, whooping cough, chicken pox and hepatitis B prior to commencing with us. That's how committed we are to protecting our workforce and our communities from vaccine-preventable diseases."
He said of the low number of clinical staff who chose not to be influenza-immunised last year, SWH requested they wear a mask within a one-metre range of patients or be redeployed elsewhere in the health service, for the 2019 June-September flu season.
The state health department says there has been nine confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection in Victoria. There have been two confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 in New South Wales.
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