Floods challenge regional health supply lines

Pictured: Rochester and Elmore District Health Service after the October floods. 

Communities across flood-ravaged areas of regional Victoria have united in a bid to keep vital health supply lines open.

HealthShare Victoria’s (HSV’s) Customer Relationship Manager – Loddon Mallee Trish Boschin says many health service suppliers had emergency plans in place when the floods hit. This enabled critical supplies such as medicines, linen and catering services to be delivered to flood-affected areas including Rochester, Echuca and surrounding districts.

“With supplier emergency plans to hand, their logistics task teams were able to act accordingly and maintain supply lines as the floods progressed,” says Trish.

While the hardest-hit areas, such as Rochester, had to temporarily close some of their services, others such as Echuca became virtually inaccessible because of flooding and damage to roads.

“There was a shortage of drivers because local staff were impacted by the floods,” Trish says.

“For some residents all that’s left of their homes is the frame. They literally lost everything they owned and face many months of rebuilding.”

As soon as drivers became available, suppliers brought orders forward – sometimes by several weeks – and delivered items in bulk to ensure health services did not run out of critical supplies.

“The response shows how resilient these communities are in supporting one another and how community spirit has been strengthened by this disaster,” says Trish.

“Every member of the community is involved in the emergency response in some way, whether they are sand bagging, building levies, or volunteering with the CFA and SES.

“Hospital staff were also leading emergency response plans and playing a key role in the recovery process,” she says.

HSV is supporting Rochester District Health Service’s efforts to rebuild after it was decimated by the floods.

Medical services such as allied and home care have been restored, but 55 aged care residents had to be evacuated to other facilities across the region.

While clean-up and decontamination at the facility has begun, there are over 1000 items of equipment that need to be replaced over the coming months.

HSV will provide additional support to health services in the region with supply chain continuity and contracts and tenders (Invitation to Supply) during this difficult time.

“HSV’s help will be invaluable as we undertake the monumental task of pricing and replacing furniture, fittings, equipment and consumables for the entire hospital,” says Rochester and Elmore District Health Service Manager of Corporate Services, Richard Morrison.

“Every room in the hospital needs to be emptied, and every piece of equipment inspected and assessed as salvageable or for disposal.”

Other health services across regional Victoria have faced similar logistical challenges.

Manager, Supply and Procurement at Goulburn Valley Health, Justine James says the main challenge was finding solutions to keep getting deliveries to where they were needed.

“Our main concern was getting medical consumables to our warehouse, because the roads from Melbourne and Bendigo were closed,” he says.

“We (also) service other aged care services and small hospitals in towns like Tatura and Rushworth. The local causeway to Mooroopna was closed and deliveries had to go through Nagambie and other backroads, taking an extra two hours on average.”

Goulburn Valley Health continues to care for 25 residents from Rochester Aged Care who were relocated due to the floods.