Protecting yourself during and after a natural disaster
After natural disasters, we know Queenslanders just want to get out there, clean up and help their communities, but it's crucial we protect ourselves when doing so, AMA Queensland Immediate Past President Dr Maria Boulton told the Today Show. "Please protect yourselves. If you get a cut, make sure it's treated properly... If you have protective gear, please wear it – so closed in shoes, long pants, and masks because above all, we don't want to lose any more lives to this cyclone."
Transcript: AMA Queensland Immediate Past President, Dr Maria Boulton, Today Show with Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo, Friday 7 March 2025
Subject: Protecting yourself during and after a natural disaster
KARL STEFANOVIC: While elective surgeries have been cancelled. Emergency departments right across southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales remain open this morning.
SARAH ABO: Let's bring in former President of AMA Queensland Dr Maria Boulton for more now. Maria, good morning to you. So there are power outages right across the region. We know that we've been affected by them ourselves, but it's the hospitals that are most important here. How have they been impacted?
DR MARIA BOULTON: Good morning Sarah and Karl. The hospitals have generators so they should continue to function as normal. We have been told by Queensland Health that emergency departments will stay open. Thank you to all those healthcare workers, some who have been sleeping at the hospital to ensure that they can continue to provide those services. Queensland Health have also increased the operating hours of the Virtual Emergency Care Service. That service will operate 24/7 until at least Monday, so if you have anyone who is in an emergency situation, always ring Triple Zero. If it's urgent but not an emergency, you can ring 13 HEALTH and access those services.
SARAH ABO: Maria, we’ve just lost comms to you so hopefully we’re not asking you to repeat yourself here. I just wanted to check in as well on pharmacies and whether they're still open and what role they're playing.
DR MARIA BOULTON: Some pharmacies are still open, similar with some GP clinics. I know that a lot of GP clinics will continue to offer telehealth phone appointments until they lose power. It's really important that people do prepare those, so stay informed, make sure that you have enough medication on hand to last you a week. That includes inhalers, because we know that cyclones can increase the risk of asthma attacks. Also, baby supplies like baby formulas and sanitary products. As I said, if it's an emergency, ring Triple Zero. For urgent conditions and you can't get through to your GP, ring 13 HEALTH.
Our thoughts go out to everyone. I've been through cyclones when I was in Mackay, and it is an anxious time. We know that the Queensland Children's Hospital has released a booklet that people can access online if they have anxious children. After the cyclone we know that Queenslanders just get out there and clean up, and we do lose lives to bacterial infections that people get from infected mud and floodwaters. It's really important that if you're going to get out and clean up, please protect yourselves. If you get a cut, make sure it's treated properly. You may need a tetanus booster. If you have protective gear, please wear it – so closed in shoes, long pants, and masks because above all, we don't want to lose any more lives to this cyclone.
KARL STEFANOVIC: All right. Great advice there. Thank you so much for that.
