COVID-19: Regional GPs fight the good fight

The COVID-19 global pandemic has meant a lot of changes for workers the world over, none more so than those in healthcare. The general practitioners, practice nurses and administration staff of two Murrumbidgee general practices have accepted their role in the fight against the coronavirus like soldiers going to battle.

In fact, that’s exactly the mentality Dr Thevashangar (Theva) Vasuthevan adopted when his practice – Your Health Griffith – took on a Commonwealth-funded contract to run a COVID-19 testing and respiratory clinic.

“I came from Sri Lanka, a country which underwent war for the last 30 years, and I see COVID as a war. The pandemic is new to me, but I volunteered to take a leading role in the respiratory clinic because I am used to a war situation. I think we have to handle things much like you prepare for a war – it’s the same way that you have to manage yourself and your work, and learn to thrive and still be happy.”

Theva was one of two GPs in the practice to step up when duty called, joined by Dr Marion Reeves who has been practising in Griffith for 25 years. Marion says that while COVID has meant many changes and more work, it’s just another part of the job.

“Initially Dr Thevashanger and I were each working half a day in the respiratory clinic with our wonderful nurses and admin staff. We both made the commitment very early that it is all part of what our job requires us to do in an emergency situation like this.

“I think for myself and some of my colleagues, this is our opportunity as medical and nursing professionals to step up for our country and for our communities. It's like our national service.”

The other doctors and staff at Your Health Griffith agree, and they too now share the workload of the COVID clinic, which carried out more than 2,000 tests in the first 14 weeks of the contract.

For MyPrac CEO, Keith Fletcher, their efforts have been nothing short of heroic. MyPrac manages both Your Health Griffith and Murrumbidgee Medical and Primary Care in Leeton, supporting approximately 24 GPs, 10 nurses and 36 admin staff across the two practices with a combined patient load of about 30,000 consultations annually.

“We must acknowledge the role of staff in general practice and the effect that COVID-19 has had on them because I believe they have been inspirational.

“There has been rapid change, and within that rapid change, there was genuine fear. Staff across our practices have rallied in such a commendable way, and I think their bravery in turning up to work, responding to the many changes, and doing their job in a really professional way has provided a pillar of strength for our community.”

Worker wellbeing

The additional responsibilities and risks of the pandemic come with a significant amount of pressure, which has caused some stress and mental load for these staff.

For Marion maintaining the emotional and mental wellbeing of staff has been a priority.

“COVID has had an enormous impact on us and we're all pretty stressed and on edge some days. Everybody has been affected differently and we're trying to be aware of individual concerns, needs and anxieties.

“We’re thinking more about how we look after ourselves, because doctors and nurses as a whole are not very good at that. We have regular discussions about how we can look after each other and how we can make sure that nobody is hanging out on the edge and needing a bit more TLC or a bit of time off.”

Jodie Gardner, Practice Nurse at Murrumbidgee Medical and Primary Health Leeton, says talking things through together has been key in the team coping with change.

“We were becoming quite stressed in the early days. As a new illness, we didn’t know which way it was going to go and in the medical field, we tend to think in terms of the worst – what can happen down the line.

“We had lots of tears in the early days but we also had meetings just to listen to everybody's fears and try to work things out so we all felt safe in the workplace. We tried to keep everyone up-to-date and supported each other, and now our team's probably closer than ever.”

Patients the priority

More than rallying to support each another, both practices have remained steadfast for their patients, focused on keeping things running smoothly and supporting them through this difficult time.

At Murrumbidgee Medical and Primary Health, a large portion of their patient load is elderly and keeping them healthy was front of mind.

“From day one, we've really been quite cautious here as a medical centre to protect our elderly as well as protecting ourselves and our families at home,” Jodie said.

“A lot of our elderly patients are feeling it – they are becoming quite down. We make sure we keep an eye on them and spend that bit of time with them to see how they're going. Some of them were quite social before and now they can’t be, so just that five minutes of contact can make their day.”

At Your Health Griffith, Theva says listening and being positive is a big part of the GP’s role during these tough times.

“We are seeing increasing numbers of mental health issues, either aggravation of their previous mental health or something new, and it’s all related to isolation. There is no magic medication for how to face this, but we give support. We try to talk to them. We send them to psychologists and refer to other services to help them handle their stressful situation.”

For Marion, the practical support is equally important when it comes to getting their community through COVID-19.

“We're having to be sensible about how we interact with people, how we distance and how we treat our patients, but also about how we educate our patients – because that's what general practice is about. It's about educating people to keep them safe, and to keep them healthy.”

To access local support services please call our Central Access and Navigation team on 1800 931 603 or email can@mphn.org.au. This is not an emergency or crisis service and is available during the business hours of Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. For more information on local services click here.

The Australian Government resource Head to Health has digital mental health and wellbeing resources, for you or someone you care about – visit headtohealth.gov.au.

Anyone who is experiencing a mental health emergency (themselves or others) should call Mental Health Line 1800 011 511, Lifeline 13 11 14 or call 000.