The practice of Melbourne-based doctors travelling to work on the Border has been supported by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who said he had confidence they could manage the risk of spreading coronavirus.
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Border Medical Association chairman Scott Giltrap raised concerns about Albury Wodonga Health's use of locums and registrars from Melbourne hotspots, before resigning from the board this week when he was criticised for making his fears public.
Mr Andrews told The Border Mail he did not share those concerns, as it was important that essential services such as medical care continued during the pandemic.
"Often those services will be very important to people - not necessarily time-critical, urgent care with lights and sirens type of care - from medical staff and critical staff in Melbourne," he said.
"Doctors, more than most, have got a really clear sense of infection control, they've got a really clear sense of not going to work if they have symptoms."
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Cancer, stroke and cardiac specialists are among the doctors who visit Albury-Wodonga and Wangaratta.
"A lot of that can't wait so you've just got to do your best to try to manage those risks," Mr Andrews said.
"Our nurses, ambos, doctors, but also the health team more broadly - the cooks and cleaners, the orderlies, the whole team at our hospitals - are working extremely hard to do their part.
"Not just to do their amazing work, but also to be very conscious of infection control."
He said there was an "enormous amount" of telehealth happening for medical rather than surgical appointments.
Chief Medical Officer Brett Sutton on Friday addressed the issue of aged care staff, and doctors and nurses in acute cute contracting coronavirus in Melbourne.
"It's a huge concern to see health care workers developing illness," he said.
"It is not always straightforward to understand how they've acquired their illness. You have to be open to the fact that personal protective equipment may or may not work in certain circumstances."