The Health News – 1 December 2015

Overview:
• Residents of Longreach in central western Queensland are being warned to boil water before drinking it. The water coming from the taps has been murky looking all weekend.

• A multi-million-dollar project at Melbourne’s Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital may be at risk because of a $30 million blow-out after the building was found to be “riddled with asbestos”.

• When bus driver Murray Dillon saw a pregnant woman slouched over her car steering wheel on Wellington Street in Perth earlier this year he did not waste time deciding what to do.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 1st December 2015. Read by Rebecca Foster. Health News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-30/longreach-residents-urged-to-boil-drinking-water/6985648

Residents of Longreach in central western Queensland are being warned to boil water before drinking it.

The water coming from the taps in Longreach has been murky looking all weekend.

Longreach Regional Council said partially treated water entered the system after a mechanical fault at the treatment plant.

It said the fault had been fixed and water was now being fully treated.

Water is being flushed through the mains to clean the system.

In the meantime, the council said water should be boiled for three minutes then cooled before drinking, washing food or cleaning teeth.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-30/eye-and-ear-hospital-redevelopment-in-doubt-asbestos/6985546

A multi-million-dollar project at Melbourne’s Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital may be at risk because of a $30 million blow-out after the building was found to be “riddled with asbestos”.

The $169 million redevelopment, due to be completed in 2017, has been thrown into chaos after the asbestos was found.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said there was no way it would be completed in 2017 and the project was in “a whole heap of trouble” because the building was “riddled with asbestos”.

She said the building needed to be made safe for patients and staff.

“The planning wasn’t done correctly, the risks weren’t identified correctly, and there simply wasn’t enough money for contingency,” she said.

“We’ve got to get a handle on it and make some pretty challenging decisions going forward.”

The State Government has commissioned an independent report on how to fix the problem which is due to be completed in four weeks.

Opposition health spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge, the former health minister, said the hospital redevelopment was an “important project for Victorians” and the Government needed to “get on with the work” to make sure the project was completed.

Ms Wooldridge said there was “extensive work” done on the problem in the early stages of the planning.

“Some of these old buildings do have further issues that are identified on the way through,” she said.

“But the asbestos has been now found and is still being found as further parts of the building are opened up.”

Ms Wooldridge said the Government had known about the problem for some time and extended the completion date six months ago.

“In fact their budget papers in May this year identified an 18-month increase in the time frame to get the project completed,” she said.

“It’s astounding that the State Government still have no plan and still don’t know how they’re going to progress this project.”

She said the Government needed to “stop dithering”.

“Fund the project and make sure it’s delivered for Victorians,” she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-30/bravery-awards-for-western-australians/6984460

When bus driver Murray Dillon saw a pregnant woman slouched over her car steering wheel on Wellington Street in Perth earlier this year he did not waste time deciding what to do.

“There was all these people gathered around and no-one was doing anything,” said Mr Dillon.

“I just walked straight in to the crowd, I knew the answer.

“In my mind, she was dead, she was grey … no pulse, no nothing.”

“I got in the car and straight away pushed the seat back and gave her mouth to mouth and CPR.”

After what seemed like 15 minutes, an ambulance arrived and Mr Dillon, 61, went back to his bus in shock.

“I was pretty upset … because at the time there was no sign of life at all,” he said.

…

Mr Dillon did not hear anything about the woman until two weeks later when she sought public help to find him and they were reunited.

The woman suffered a stroke, but survived and so had her baby.

“I got to meet Shannon and her partner Alan the next day. It was unbelievable,” Mr Dillon said.

She told him doctors said if it was not for Mr Dillon’s action, she would not be alive.