Sunshine Hospital was inundated last week with people suffering from a sudden outbreak of “thunderstorm asthma”.
The state’s healthcare system was pushed to its limits last week as hundreds sought help after the sudden change in weather triggered respiratory problems in people across the city.
There were almost 2000 calls for ambulances in five hours, with about 30 people admitted into intensive care units.
Sunshine Hospital was one of the worst hit, with 18 ambulances banked up in the early hours of Tuesday morning as crews frantically worked on patients.
A Western Health spokeswoman said it was “unheard of” to have so many ambulances waiting outside the suburban emergency department.
As of Friday, three people remained in a critical condition in Melbourne and at least four people had died from the outbreak, including Noble Park father-of-two Clarence Leo, 35-year-old Apollo Papadopoulos, 20-year-old Hoppers Crossing law student Hope Carnevali and Greenvale high school student Omar Moujalled.
Thousands of Victorians were affected by the weather last Monday after heavy rain caused rye pollen to absorb moisture and burst, scattering smaller particles that become lodged in people’s lungs.
The medical crisis that unfolded after the storm led the state government to review the appropriateness of its response. The Inspector General of Emergency Management will be required to provide a report to the government before April 30 next year.
Alexandra Laskie , with The Age
