Medical staff transport a patient from the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne on Oct 9, 2021, as Victoria state recorded 1965 new COVID-19 cases, its highest daily infection number since the start of the pandemic, putting more pressure on the state's struggling health system. (WILLIAM WEST / AFP)
CANBERRA / YANGON / SINGAPORE / HANOI / MANILA – Top Australian medical bodies have warned that a planned change to the hospital funding model will have a "devastating" impact.
The federal government has confirmed the 50-50 coronavirus-related health funding deal with state and territory governments will expire at the end of 2022.
State and territory health ministers had called for the split funding arrangement to be extended through to 2025 and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) for it to be made permanent.
The federal budget for 2022-23, which was handed down by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday night, confirmed the end of the scheme and the return of the annual growth cap on hospital funding.
The cap limits the overall growth in federal funding for public hospitals at 6.5 percent annually.
Steve Robson, president of the AMA, said that even with the additional federal funding the hospital system was already at "breaking point."
"The virus is unlikely to respect a 31 December budget deadline, and if these measures end it will only put more pressure on our already logjammed hospitals," he was quoted by the Guardian Australia as saying.
His comments echoed the sentiment of Brad Hazzard, health minister of Australia's largest state of New South Wales, who said the end of the agreement "spells disaster for the frontline staff and patients."
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Myanmar
Myanmar confirmed 157 new COVID-19 infections and two more deaths from the pandemic in the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health on Wednesday.
The number of COVID-19 infections in the country rose to 631,059 while the death toll reached 19,480, the ministry's release said.
It added that health authorities tested 10,724 people for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, and the daily positivity rate was 1.46 percent.
A man shops for face masks in Divisoria, a local shopping district in Manila on May 17, 2022. (JAM STA ROSA / AFP)
Philippines
The Philippines reported 1,121 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,997,941.
The Department of Health said the number of active cases dropped to 21,325, while 37 more patients died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the country's death toll to 63,883.
Metro Manila, the Philippine capital with over 13 million people, tallied 318 new cases.
A notice warning people not to gather in groups larger than five persons as part of restrictions to hald the spread of the coronavirus is displayed at Raffles Place financial business district in Singapore on Jan 4, 2022. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)
Singapore
Singapore reported 9,557 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total tally to 2,080,341.
Of the new cases, 671 were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 8,886 through ARTs (antigen rapid test), according to statistics released by the country's Ministry of Health.
Among the PCR cases, 652 were local transmissions and 19 were imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 8,347 local transmissions and 539 imported cases.
Two more deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll to 1,668.
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Passengers wait for transportation outside the arrival hall of Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on March 15, 2022, as Vietnam announced the return of a visa exemption policy for 13 countries in an effort to kickstart its tourism sector. (NHAC NGUYEN / AFP)
Vietnam
Vietnam recorded 826 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, up by 312 from Tuesday, according to its ministry of health.
All the new cases were locally transmitted, said the ministry.
The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 11,498,873. The country reported a new death from the pandemic in the southern Can Tho city on Wednesday, bringing the total fatalities to 43,162.