Family members of the victims of the COVID-19 outbreak at St Basils Home for the Aged in Fawkner, Victoria three years ago have slammed the limited scope of the Federal Government’s planned pandemic response inquiry.
At least 50 elderly residents died at St Basils Fawkner, a Greek Orthodox facility in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, in mid-2020 during Victoria’s second COVID-19 wave.
The Federal Government has since announced a federal inquiry into the nation’s COVID-19 response but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said unilateral actions taken by state and territory governments during the pandemic would not be examined.
John Karahalios, whose mum Margarita Karahalios died at St Basils Fawkner after contracting COVID-19 during the outbreak, told The Australian the scope of the inquiry was unfortunate and added he was sceptical it would actually change the state of aged care in Australia.
“A lot of aged-care people, tend to have dementia and… certain illnesses. They are a non-voting population and that is why they are going to constantly be considered second-class citizens, which is pretty much a disgrace to this country,” Mr Karahalios said.
A state-based coronial inquest into the outbreak at St Basils Fawkner is ongoing.
Source: The Australian.
