Coronavirus crisis: Healthcare Australia CEO stood down after vaccine overdose scandal

The doctor at the centre of the COVID vaccine overdose scandal had been previously sanctioned over a medical cannabis prescription, it has been revealed. Sujoy Roychowdhury, had conditions placed on his license by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency after complaints over his practice, The Australian has reported. According to the publication, Roychowdhury was barred from possessing, supplying, prescribing or administering any natural or synthetic medicine cannabis products and was required to be supervised at any practice that employed him. Management overseeing Dr Roychowdhury’s practice was also required to submit monthly reports to the regulator certifying that the doctor was complying with the restrictions. Dr Roychowdhury was employed by Healthcare Australia, which has a contract to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in aged-care centres in NSW and Queensland. Earlier this week he dosed two elderly residents, aged 88 and 94, with four times the correct dosage of Pfizer vaccine. The patients suffered no ill effects. Healthcare Australia said it was aware of the conditions on Dr Roychowdhury’s licence but they did not prevent him administering vaccines. “The doctor involved in the nursing home incident is a registered medical practitioner on the APHRA register and there were no conditions of the doctor’s registration which prevented him administering vaccinations,” a spokesperson for Healthcare Australia said. “The doctor is not actively working at Healthcare Australia.” That news come as Victoria eased restrictions and NSW recorded a 41-day virus-free streak. NSW Health’s Dr Michael Douglas pointed out the “milestone” of 5 million tests that have now been conducted for the state. “NSW Health continues to urge anyone with any cold-like symptoms to come forward for testing, and to isolate until they receive a negative result,” he said. VACCINE CLEANOUT AFTER STORAGE BUNGLE As many as 150 doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine have been thrown out after a storage bungle. Aspen Medical told the federal health department it had been storing 25 surplus vials — each of which contain about six doses — of the vaccine in a refrigerator at a nursing home in Melbourne’s southwest. But the health services provider, which has a contract to administer the vaccines in aged care facilities, was unsure whether they could still be used. The Pfizer vaccine can be store for up to five days in at a standard refrigerator temperature, but otherwise must be kept in much lower temperatures. The health department could not confirm whether the 25 vials were maintained at the required temperature. “Aspen conducted vaccinations at St Vincent’s Care Services in Werribee on Wednesday 24 February 2021,” the department said in a statement. “Aspen reported to the Commonwealth’s Vaccine Operation Centre that there were 25 vials unused and stored in an on-site refrigerator. The Pfizer vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator at 2-8C for up to 5 days. “While refrigeration was maintained it was not possible to verify that temperature was maintained throughout. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, a medical decision was made not to use the remaining vials. “This represents 0.15% of week 1 doses distributed and the loss rate has been far lower than expected and assumed which is a tribute to all involved. “We particularly thank the Aspen Healthcare worker who responded resourcefully and took action to ensure both use of the vaccines and protection of the integrity of the unused vials.” Earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison dodged questions on the issue. When quizzed at a press conference on Friday morning, Mr Morrison instead discussed the vaccine rollout generally. “We’re four days into the rollout, today is day five. Over 90 aged care facilities have now been supported through vaccinations, some 23,000 Australians already have received those vaccinations,” Mr Morrison said. “In the early days where there are logistical difficulties … They’re worked through. The vaccination program could not be more important. Where things are learned in the early phase, they will be applied.” It was originally believed the Pfizer vaccines needed to be stored at 71 degrees below zero for longer periods However, it’s now thought they can be specialised refrigeration is unnecessary and pharmaceutical refrigerated temperatures may suffice. The US Food and Drug is expected to announce new guidelines on this at the request of after Pfizer submitted a request. Mr Morrison said it was “potentially exciting news” and Australia’s medicine’s watchdog would consider the new information. VICTORIA EASES RESTRICTIONS DESPITE TWO NEW CASES Premier Daniel Andrews has finally eased back coronavirus restrictions across the state, allowing Victorians greater leniency around gathering in crowds and mask wearing. From 11.59pm on Friday night the rules will be relaxed back to the same COVID-safe summer restrictions put in place at Christmas before the Black Rock cluster scare at New Year’s. It comes after a solid run of six straight days without any community transmission in the state before two new locally acquired cases were announced on Friday. However the two new infections made the decision to go into hotel quarantine after being identified as primary close contacts of “pre-existing” cases. Mr Andrews announced masks would only be required in “high risk settings” – in ride share vehicles, public transport and large retail and shopping outlets. Thirty people can now attend a home per day for a private gathering – up from five people. The Premier also announced 100 people could gather in outdoor settings, as well as greater leniency around visits to hospitals and aged care facilities. For the first time since the pandemic started, 75 per cent of all public and private sector workers will also now able to return to the office. “The circuit breaker strategy clearly worked,” Mr Andrews said “None of this is possible without the extraordinary effort of Victorians and I am deeply grateful to every single one of you.” While the Premier said it was a “great day”, he could not rule out future snap lockdowns. “If I get public health advice, then I follow public health advice,” Mr Andrews said. “But we’ve got a reason to be confident. I’ve said this a lot, but I’m going to say it again because it’s important. We all want this to be over desperately, but it’s not. And we can’t pretend that it is. “If you could just vaccinate everybody in a week, we would, but that’s not the nature of this. So we’re going to need rules, we’re going to need vigilance. We’re going to need an acceptance that this is not normal it’s COVID-normal and we’re working as hard as we possibly can and will continue to avoid any more restrictions than are absolutely necessary.” EVERYTHING CHANGING AT 11.59PM TONIGHT HEALTHCARE CEO STOOD DOWN OVER BUNGLE The CEO of Healthcare Australia Jason Cartwright has stepped aside from his role in the wake of the bungled overdosing of two aged care residents with COVID-19 vaccine. In a statement the company which holds a government contract to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to nursing homes residents said an interim CEO with extensive experience in the health sector will be appointed soon. “We will also further strengthen the Healthcare Australia management team with additional executive support,” the company said. “The health and wellbeing of all patients in our care is our absolute priority and we continue to work with relevant health departments to guarantee the ongoing effectiveness of the vaccination program rollout,” the company said. “We share the community’s serious concerns about the incident involving two patients at the Holy Spirit nursing home in Brisbane and have immediately commenced an internal review to determine how it occurred,” it said. “We apologise unreservedly to the patients and their families involved for the distress this has caused and assure the community that the error was isolated and will not be repeated,” the company said in a statement. Health Minister Greg Hunt told parliament he was aware of the move and the company was “installing new management” following the scandal. “In addition, at the government’s request, the former chief nursing and midwifery office of Australia has been installed to oversee clinical guidance,” Mr Hunt said. “In addition, there has been a review of the mandated and required training which was part of contract, of the company which it was in breach of, and that it has been confirmed that every person involved with the clinical role in the vaccine has completed their training.” Earlier Mr Hunt said the elderly patients who received the incorrect dose earlier this week were not suffering any adverse effects and the 94 year old woman would be returning to her aged care home on Thursday afternoon. The 88 year old man who was overdosed will remain in hospital in preparation for elective surgery that was unrelated to the vaccine mishap, he said. The company that employed the doctor who had not undertaken the required COVID-19 vaccine training had been put on notice of potential termination, Mr Hunt said. The company had bought in additional senior management and the former Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer of Australia had been installed as the clinical lead in the company, he said. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd said his investigation showed the overdose was human error but a “serious error”. “This error should not have happened and we apologise to the residents and their families, and the carers at the facility for the stress this has caused,” Professor Kidd said. Queensland’s health ombudsman will determine whether to refer the doctor at the centre of the overdose incident to the medical watchdog the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Professor Kidd said. “This was a breach of the clinical standards,” Mr Hunt said. The government will add an additional vaccine provider for nursing homes in Queensland and another in NSW in the wake of the overdose incident, Mr Hunt said. Mr Hunt revealed that as of yesterday evening more than 17,500 vaccinations had been delivered to health and quarantine workers and aged care residents since the roll out began on Sunday. The overdose incident by the Health Care Australia doctor led to a slowdown in the vaccine rollout by that provider and might delay by three days the government meeting its target of vaccinating the residents in the first 240 aged care homes, Mr Hunt said. “But by the end of the second week we’re expecting to be on track and by the end of the six weeks we’re expecting to be fully on track,” he said. ‘SURPRISING’ ASTRAZENECA VACCINE TWIST The Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine may be more effective at preventing hospitalisation and death than the Pfizer vaccine the Health Department has told general practitioners. The Health Department official in charge of the vaccine rollout in primary care Dr Lucas De Toca told doctors in a briefing today new evidence about the effectiveness of the vaccines in the real world was “surprising”. Early clinical trials of AstraZeneca’s vaccine showed it was only 62 per cent effective while the Pfizer vaccine was 95 per cent effective. But new research on the use of the vaccines in 5 million people in Scotland showed AstraZeneca was 92 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation and death, Pfizer was only 88 per cent effective, he said. Dr De Toca said the new effectiveness data showed there was an “immaterial difference” between the vaccines “they’re both incredibly effective at preventing hospitalisation and death,” he said. with David Aidone, Clare Armstrong, James Law