The Department of Health is to create a Clinical Stock Reserve to ensure frontline services always have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need.
Minister for Health, Steven Miles said the COVID-19 pandemic had shown that changes needed to happen to clinical stock supply arrangements, both within Australia and globally.
“Queenslanders have done exceptionally well during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we have to remain vigilant given that the virus has the potential to rapidly re-emerge,” Mr Miles said.
“Our doctors, nurses, paramedics, police officers, corrections staff — all our frontline workers — deserve to have access to the necessary supplies and equipment to keep them safe, support their work for the community and enable them to continue to deliver the outstanding services that they provide.”
He said his Department would lead the initiative, working with other key Agencies such as Treasury, the Departments of Premier and Cabinet, Housing and Public Works, Regional Development and Manufacturing, and others.
“We have traditionally relied on international trade relationships and suppliers, as well as domestic supply chains, for our supplies, and this will continue,” Mr Miles said.
“However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that we cannot always rely entirely on these arrangements and that we must seek ways to mitigate the impacts of emergencies and severe disruptive events on these supply chains.”
He said one of the ways this could be done was to have a strategic reserve of supplies always available in Queensland.
