Monthly media digest: December/January 2024
29 January 2024
A digest of college news coverage for December 2023/January 2024
Dr Richard Harris appointed SA's Lieutenant Governor
Thai cave rescue hero and former Australian of the Year, anaesthetist Dr Richard Harris, has been named as South Australia's new Lieutenant Governor.
In his new role, Dr Harris will serve as deputy to South Australia's Governor, Frances Adamson.
The Lieutenant Governor acts as the state's Vice Regal representative in the absence of the Governor.
Triple exam success for North Queensland anaesthetists
The Townsville Bulletin (paywalled) reported on the success of three Townsville-based anaesthesia trainees who passed their primary ANZCA exams after a long road of study.
The 21 January article said Jackson Cowan, Zachary Lovelady and Laura White all passed the difficutl exam on their first attempt with Dr Cowan the only Queensland doctor awarded a merit for the exam.
The article said the ANZCA primary exam is the second last test a doctor must pass before they’re named ‘specialist anaesthetists’.
Pain report linked to makers of spinal cord stimulators
Former FPM Dean Dr Chris Hayes was quoted in a 27 December article in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald after he resigned from the board of Painaustralia.
The article said Dr Hayes, a leading pain physician, had resigned from Painaustralia's board, partly as a result of the publication of a report on the benefits of spinal cord stimulators that had been paid for by a group with links to manufacturers of the devices.
Speaking as a clinician, he told The Age: “I do think there are some positives: it discloses the source of funding, the selection bias, and it refers to the two Cochrane studies that conclude this may be an ineffective treatment that comes with significant risks.
“But I am concerned the report could be misunderstood by vulnerable people who may not read the fine detail and gain the overall impression this is a very effective treatment.”
Ipswich Hospital joins POM course
The anaesthesia team at Ipswich Hospital in Queensland was featured in a page 3 article in
Ipswich News Today on 14 December.
The article highlighted the hospital's inolvement in ANZCA's perioperative medicine course in 2024.
Ipswich Hospital Deputy Director of Anaesthesia Dr Hannah Brown said involvement in the ANZCA course was recognition of the hospital’s proud track record of providing high-quality perioperative care.
“The clinical immersion sites have been selected for their dedication to perioperative medicine excellence, patient care and advanced medical techniques, so to be the only Queensland Health hospital chosen is testament to Ipswich Hospital's first-classs care and staff," she explained.