The Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton responded with their usual care and compassion to a request from Queensland Health to urgently accommodate 25 residents from the North Rockhampton Nursing Home (NRNH) following the positive COVID-19 test returned by a nurse at that Government operated aged care facility on Friday, 15th May.   

Following discussions with Queensland Health and CQH&HS representatives on Friday night and Saturday morning, 25 residents of the NRNH were yesterday (Saturday) transferred to the Mater Rockhampton. Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles stated that all the aged care residents being transferred had been tested and had returned negative test results for COVID-19.

 The planning and organizing that was necessary to effect this transfer was amazing and one can only congratulate and thank Gerry Wyvill, Sue Thurbon, Amanda Houston, Sue Nouwens, Sr Maria and all the team at the Mater Rockhampton on their fantastic work to make this all happen.

The team at the Mater did an absolutely amazing job in such a short space of time. The compassion and care shown by the Mater family in accommodating these NRNH residents, who must have been very traumatized by all that had happened, was a wonderful example of true Mercy in Action.

We would all like to especially mention Amanda Houston, who with Sue being on leave, was Acting EO and Amanda played a key role in bringing this all together on Friday night and Saturday.

On Saturday night, Amanda reported that the ambulance transfer of the 25 residents from the NRNH to the Mater Rockhampton went seamlessly. The ambulance people were very complimentary of all that the Mater did to smoothly receive the transferred residents. The residents have been accommodated in single rooms.  

Amanda also reported at that time that the residents were all admitted and had settled down for the night in their new surroundings at the Mater.      

Phillip Bauman