Health authorities are calling for patience and calm from “aggressive” truck drivers after reports health staff have been on the receiving end of verbal abuse at the Mount Gambier vaccination hub.
Key points:
- Limestone Coast Local Health Network says staff are experiencing ‘aggressive’ behaviour from truckies
- Misdirected anger placed due to SA vaccine mandate for commercial and freight workers
- SA Road Transport Association says it is “disappointing but not absolutely surprising”
Since October 8, commercial transport and freight workers arriving by road into South Australia must have evidence of having at least one COVID-19 vaccination.
Truck drivers are eligible for walk-ins to receive the jab at SA vaccination hubs.
The concerns for the truckie anger come as two interstate transport workers tested positive for COVID-19 at the SA-Victorian border on Saturday. Both men have since been in an Adelaide medi-hotel.
Executive director of Medical Services, Dr Elaine Pretorius, from the Limestone Coast Local Health Network is emphasizing to the transport community, that the abusive behaviour is not acceptable.
“It’s not as frequent as it used to be,” Dr Pretorius said.
“I think there are still people who are unhappy that — for certain groups- the vaccine is mandatory,”
It comes as South Australian healthcare workers inch toward their own mandatory jab deadline, with health staff in public and private hospitals required to get the COVID-19 vaccine by November 1.
Last week, after a COVID-19 scare rocked the Limestone Coast Community, additional healthcare workers were flown in from Adelaide.
Dr Pretorius said the vaccination nurses are simply doing their job while under enormous pressure.
“Our staff are just doing the absolute best they can. They are often staying late out of goodwill,” Dr Pretorius insisted.
That sentiment is being echoed by the South Australian Road Transport Association, with executive officer Steve Shearer calling it “disappointing but not absolutely surprising”.
“We have had all along, a degree of complaint from a percentage of drivers; what we’ve never really been able to judge is how big is that percentage is,” Mr Shearer said.
“I think it might have been as high as 20 per cent or 30 per cent to start with — but now it’s down around between 5 per cent and 10 per cent.”
Mr Shearer said the association is concerned for losses in the heavy vehicle driving workforce.
“And that might only be 5 per cent, [but] they would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to replace in in a short time,” he added.
“So, we’ve been concerned from the outset, and I’ve discussed it with the Premier a number of times … he understands that. He shares our concern.”
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