Page 3080 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 16 September 2015
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Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.30 to 2.30 pm.
Questions without notice
Canberra Hospital—emergency codes
MR HANSON: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Health. On 9Â September this year the Canberra Times reported that the Canberra Hospital was on code yellow, which is an internal emergency. According to the paper, an emergency control centre was established. As you would be aware, the emergency codes for the Canberra Hospital are code blue, medical emergency; code purple, bomb threat; code red, fire; code black, personal threat; code orange, evacuation; code yellow, internal emergency; and code brown, external emergency. Minister, can you explain what was the cause of the code yellow emergency at Canberra Hospital on 9 September 2015?
MR CORBELL: I thank Mr Hanson for his question. Madam Speaker, if I recall correctly, the circumstances in relation to 9 September related to a malfunction in an electrical safety switchboard at the Canberra Hospital which was overheating and was causing potential disruption to electrical supply to significant parts of the hospital. Fortunately, through a range of technical interventions by electricians from ActewAGL and others, the circumstances were remedied without any significant disruption to the operations of the hospital.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Minister, do you receive reports, either daily or on occurrence, of information or declarations of any of the seven emergency codes at the Canberra Hospital?
MR CORBELL: I do receive notifications in relation to a number of these matters, yes.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, in the past six months how many of the seven emergency codes have been declared and in each case how many incidents occurred inside each code?
MR CORBELL: I would have to take the question on notice.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, what are you doing to ensure that the hospital is ready for all code emergencies?
MR CORBELL: The Health Directorate has a comprehensive exercising regime in relation to all of its emergency modes. Those were tested mostly recently in a desktop exercise overseen by the Chief Health Officer earlier this month.
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