Stay safe out there friends.
As of Monday, all Australians will be able to consult their doctor via video chat, in the next effort from the government to slow the coronavirus pandemic.
Telehealth services just received a $669 million boost with Medicare subsidies now expanded allowing Australians more flexibility when contacting their doctor. You no longer need to physically visit your GP but can reach out to them via the World Wide Web.
“What we are doing now is a radical transformation in the way we deliver our health services: as of tomorrow, we will have universal telehealth available in Australia,” said Health Minister Greg Hunt.
“Everybody who is self-isolating or is under formal isolation or formal quarantine, that means you can ring your doctor, whether it is your GP, your specialist, your mental health psychiatrist or psychologist, your allied health practitioner or your nurse practitioner, all of these are available.
“It is a decade’s worth of work in a matter of days.”
The services span online video platforms such as FaceTime or Skype while you can also reach your GP over the phone. The government has also announced the launch of an iOS app called Coronavirus Australia to allow Australians to keep up to date with the latest health advice.
While the government continues to take extra steps to quell the growth of coronavirus, on Sunday, the Prime Minister announced that rate of increase of cases had dropped from 25 to 30 per cent a day, to 13 to 15 per cent per day as Australians increase their social distancing efforts.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that cases are decreasing, it just indicates that cases are increasing by a smaller amount per day than they were previously.
If you think you have coronavirus, either call your doctor (DON’T visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. If you’re struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
