Tuesday, 3 October 2023

Alfred hospital

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (17:32): (466) A few weeks ago there was a report in the Herald Sun which absolutely was appalling. It is in relation to the infestation of rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs and God knows what else at the Alfred hospital. My adjournment matter obviously is for the attention of the Minister for Health. In relation to this matter I find it quite disgraceful that such an eminent hospital, as it once was, is now operating like a Third World hospital when you have got infestations of the nature that was reported. Some of the issues that were raised alarmed me. As someone who trained at the Alfred, is very proud of the Alfred and understands that it has a fabulous trauma centre, I have been concerned over many months because I had heard from surgeons who told me about mice in the operating theatres. They are the operating theatres that I trained in. As Professor Mark Fitzgerald spoke about last year, these are 60-year-old operating theatres that are no longer fit for purpose, and the Alfred and the theatres needed upgrading. Of course he was a man well known to the former Premier, who looked after him after his accident. You would think that there would be attention by this government, but there has been absolutely no funding for the upgrade of this hospital.

To have this report in such detail – there is just report after report of this infestation – is simply not good enough, and it has been ongoing for years. I do think that patients who have experienced mice running over their beds; mice faeces; rats in various areas; bed bugs, as was reported in one area; and then other rodents and other issues with other parts of the hospital – the government needs to do far more than they have. They need to look at this facility and provide the funding. The action I seek from the minister is to provide what briefing she has had relating to this important matter and what actions the department has taken to rectify this appalling situation where we have an infestation at the Alfred to such an extent as has been reported.