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An Australian survey has found that 20 percent of doctors in public hospitals are forced to provide their own personal protective equipment (PPE), prompting calls for greater transparency into government stockpiles.
Completed by 677 members of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and released on Monday, the survey also found that 19 percent of respondents across all settings had limited access to surgical masks, while 3 percent had none at all.
"It's not good enough that 1 in 5 have limited access to surgical masks. It's remarkable that some are resorting to sourcing their own PPE," RACP President and Respiratory Physician Professor John Wilson said.
"This is a troubling warning sign of what may be coming for our medical workforce."
Australia's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nick Coatsworth disputed the seriousness of the claims, telling local media 9news, that there was no shortage of PPE and that the federal government had distributed over 11 million face masks since the pandemic began.
"The personal protective equipment is available and it's where it needs to be at the frontline for our healthcare workers," Coatsworth said.
The survey also revealed that around 45 percent of doctors had limited access to the more effective, N95 grade masks, and 11 percent had no access -- and that just 61 percent of respondents reported having had recent training in the use of PPE.
"We have concerns that due to a lack of workplace training, healthcare workers may not always be using PPE correctly, such as the donning and doffing process which is crucial," Professor Malcolm Sim, president of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine said.
The RACP called on the government to provide a clearer picture of national PPE stockpiles so that if there is a shortage, resources could be directed to higher-risk areas with active and suspected cases of COVID-19.
