Monthly media digest: December/January 2022/23

01 February 2023

A digest of college news coverage for December/January 2022/23

A/Prof Mick Vagg interviewed about medicinal cannabis in Australia

FPM's Director of Professional Affairs and immediate past dean A/Professor Mick Vagg was interviewed on ABC Radio's PM program on 31 January in a segment "Should Australia legalise marijuana?"

A/Prof Vagg explained the importance of having a "very clear-eyed evidence based debate."

Qld anaesthetist raises concerns about birthing bypass

Retired anaesthetist Dr Sandy Donald was interviewed on 15 January by abc.net.au about birthing bypass arangements in Gladstone in central Queensland. 

"Someone should be hanging their head in shame about what's happening in Gladstone," Dr Donald said.

"It should have an obstetric service."

Christchurch FANZCA Dr Wayne Morriss profiled in NZ media

Dr Morriss featured in an article in stuff.co.nz on 4 January as the first NZ president of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists.

He told senior health reporter Rachel Thomas what it’s like working in environments where safe surgery is not a given and how he’s working to change that.

FANZCA's daring shark rescue 

Professor Paul Myles hit the headlines on 31 December after he carried a struggling shark back into the ocean at a Great Ocean Road beach in Victoria.

Professor Myles told abc.net.au that he had been surfing at Eastern View beach for more than 40 years but rarely saw sharks there.

NZ pain fellow retires

Dr Lorna Fox -- the second New Zealander to become a FFPMANZCA by the exam route -- was profiled in stuff.co.nz on 23 December on her retirement from Te Whatu Ora Taranaki.

“I discovered that there is a big difference in managing acute and chronic – AKA persistent - pain. I guess that message is one which all pain medicine specialists want to get out there, so education is a major part of my role,” she explained.

Dr Fox set up the acute pain service at Taranaki Base Hospital in 1999.

Anaesthesia and Westmead Children's Hospital

Staffing issues at Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney featured in a Channel Nine news segment on 4 December.

The report said a shortage of anaesthetists at the hospital had been experienced by one mother. The report said the NSW state government had promised it was working on a solution.