The news that 40 staff may have been exposed to asbestos at the Royal Hobart Hospital is extremely concerning. We sincerely hope no staff have been exposed.
It's unclear whether the 40 hospital staff have been exposed to asbestos, what class of asbestos it was, or whether any particles got into the air conditioning system.
The incident raises many questions. Most notably, why did it take until late on Friday afternoon to advise the public, given that the incident happened on Wednesday?
Health Minister, Michael Ferguson, spoke to the media earlier today. It’s astonishing he didn’t advise the public about the asbestos then.
We hope delays in informing the public were not politically motivated.
There are a lot of questions about this incident. Minister Ferguson owes it to hospital staff and the Tasmanian community to answer them.
