‘Don’t accept that’: Top doc gets testy

It comes after the Australian Medical Association revealed it warned the health department about the need to develop a national strategy for procuring RATs in September last year.

The AMA’s vice-president Chris Moy told The Guardian that he was told at the time that the government did not want to intervene in the private market.

“We needed to get a lot of them (RATs), and we needed a really clear strategy to transition, it was so bloody obvious,” he said.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, deputy chief medical officer Dr Sonya Bennett was asked about this situation and whether it was a failure of government.

“Look, I don’t accept that at all,” she said.

“I think the context in September was very different. If you remember we were dealing with the Delta variant and so there had been a lot of planning around the Delta variant.

“We are in a very different situation now, very different context with the case numbers we are seeing. And there is a lot of work, there’s a lot of people working to ensure that supply is secured as quickly as possible and that will certainly clear in the next few weeks.”

She was then questioned on whether there was any discussion or modelling done about the possibility of a more severe strain.

“That’s always been on the table … you always plan for various options,” Dr Bennett responded.

“You can’t act on all of those various options though, because you can’t predict which pathway that will take. So there was certainly planning done which is part of the reason I think that governments have been able to act so incredibly quickly.

“Even in countries that had rapid antigen testing in place in a widespread way, because they had more cases, have found it difficult to increase that availability of testing exponentially with Omicron.”

However, Dr Bennett stopped short of answering why the government decided to take the market-based approach. She said it wasn’t a question for her.

Dr Bennett said there would be upwards of 100 million rapid antigen tests coming into the country over “the next week or so”.

Rapid antigen tests in Australia

The government has been heavily criticised for the affordability and accessibility of rapid antigen tests in Australia.

A move toward using more rapid antigen tests instead of PCR tests was announced last week in response to an overwhelmed testing system that saw Australians queue in testing lines for hours and not get their results for days.

But with soaring demand, ability for Aussies to get their hands on the tests has become increasingly difficult.

Some social media users have claimed they’ve seen tests selling for as high as $44 a kit.

Channel 9 reporter Airlie Walsh said a BP service station in Edgecliff, Sydney was selling single rapid antigen tests for an “outrageous” $30 a pop.

Comparisons are being drawn with the UK, where residents can access free tests much easier.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison ruled out making the tests free for all Australians on Monday, saying he didn’t want to undercut businesses.

“We are now at this stage of the pandemic we just cannot make everything free because when someone tells you they will make something free, someone will always pay for it, and it is going to be you,” he said.

RATs are free if you’re a close contact, have symptoms, or work in aged care or state government health settings.

The federal government has agreed to cover half the costs of rapid antigen tests which have been purchased by state governments.

Mr Morrison also said plans were underway to finalise concessional arrangements for pensioners who buy over-the-counter tests.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced a crackdown on retailers price gouging the tests on Tuesday.

Chair Rod Sims said the ACCC was “on the case” and was monitoring it “very closely”.

Originally published as ‘I don’t accept that’: Top doctor disputes rapid antigen test claim