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Gone in 24 hours

Published 23 August 2021

Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) responded to the recent Cairns and Yarrabah Local Government Areas (LGAs) COVID lockdown by distributing more than 62,000 items of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to general practices, pharmacies, and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations across the region – in just 24 hours.

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Photo: Some of the completed packages that were sent to community pharmacies in Cairns and Yarrabah LGAs

On Sunday 8 August, Cairns and Yarrabah LGAs were determined by Queensland's Chief Health Officer to be in the 'moderate' risk category after a lockdown was announced following confirmation of a local COVID-19 case.

This meant that the Australian Government made additional quantities of PPE supplies available for GPs, community pharmacies, and ACCHOs in the Cairns and Yarrabah LGAs, with an ordering process soon put in place by NQPHN.

NQPHN received more than 100 boxes of emergency PPE supplies from the Australian Government on Wednesday 11 August, coordinating the ordering process and distribution of all the PPE packages (surgical masks, P2/N95 masks, gowns, gloves, eye goggles) by the next day to 35 general practices/ACCHOs and 20 pharmacies across Cairns and Yarrabah.

In total, NQPHN distributed the following total PPE items within 24 hours of receiving them:

  • 19,200 surgical face masks
  • 8,640 P2/N95 face masks
  • 30,000 gloves
  • 3,125 long-sleeve gowns
  • 1,200 eye goggles.

NQPHN Chief Executive Officer Robin Whyte said NQPHN was again proud to assist in the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts for the benefit of the local community.

“After being informed of the PPE being made available, we quickly assembled a team who assisted in taking delivery, opening, sorting, repacking, and organising couriers for these items for primary healthcare providers across the Cairns and Yarrabah LGAs,” said Ms Whyte.

“It was a significant logistical task, but they did an amazing job to ensure all PPE orders were fulfilled within just 24 hours.”

Visit NQPHN's COVID-19 web pages for more information on the ongoing pandemic.

Last updated: 23 February 2022

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