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President’s Blog: Let’s wave goodbye to 2022
Friday December 16, 2022
As the end of the year approaches, it is difficult not to reflect on the year that was. The year that saw the first wave of COVID-19 for Western Australia. We all tried to avoid catching it, and some of us have still managed to evade it.
I got it mid-year when I went to Sydney for the Federal AMA meeting. I wore a mask from getting in the Uber on leaving my home, until I got out of the Uber when I returned, other than when I was eating, drinking, or in my hotel room.
It was mild, primarily just a runny nose. I isolated for seven days by myself. It was the most time spent by myself in memory, allowed for a lot of self-reflection and I actually got my inbox down to zero. I enjoyed it.
From a work perspective I know it wasn’t enjoyable. I extend a massive thank you to all of you who worked so hard in that first wave and continue to work hard. From the GPs who treated so many and prevented admissions to hospital, to the ICU consultants who treated the extremes of the disease and its consequences.
In 2023, we will not see lockdowns, or the more significant response needed in 2022. We unfortunately will settle into a recurrent epidemic of COVID as new variants emerge and travel via airports around the world. We will also see more long COVID emerge, with the need for dedicated clinics and research.
The holiday season hopefully will allow us to rest, recuperate and recharge our batteries. In 2023 I will continue to hold the Government to account on your behalf. We will need to get on with the job of business as usual that has unfortunately been sacrificed to allow bandwidth to deal with COVID.
This is the same system we all know did not have enough bandwidth to deal with business as usual in the first place.
I will continue to push the adoption of a beds policy to reach and maintain the national average of beds per head of population. This is on top of all the other public health and workplace policies and strategies we already have in place.
I wish you, your family and loved ones a very safe, happy, restful and happy holiday season.
See you in 2023.
MDS
