Editor’s Message

As we approach another Australian summer, with its promise of the holiday season, some relaxation of COVID border restrictions, and learning to live with ‘COVID normality’, I am excited to introduce the Summer 2021 edition of Healthcare Facilities. It is packed with articles of interest and products that support and enable world-class healthcare engineering, which is at the core of the mission of IHEA. We thank all of our supporters, members and stakeholders for their contributions to IHEA during 2021 and look forward to this continuing into 2022.

Perhaps most exciting, alongside the excellent technical content, is the news from branches around the country that in-person activities are on the increase. A spectacularly successful WA State Conference, and superb branch PD events in SA and QLD, indicates that the IHEA branches remain actively committed to supporting members to get together and share their stories, successes and companionship.

All of us are acutely aware of the challenges that have faced the eastern states, who have perhaps been hardest hit by more recent COVID events, and we applaud the frontline healthcare workers, and especially the unsung heroes in the support services, who don’t find themselves on the front pages. This obviously includes the healthcare engineering and facilities management teams, but also the support staff in hotel services, waste management, cleaning, security and administration, who are slogging it out everyday.

The IHEA applauds the efforts of all the teams providing healthcare, testing and vaccination for this virus that has so disrupted our lives, and as we as a country, community and a member association continue to push forward – lets be grateful for everybody who is working hard to make a bad situation better.

From the IHEA, we wish all of our readers a happy holiday season, and hopefully the opportunity to reconnect with the people who are most important to you, and some personal time to recharge.

Until 2022 when we hope to meet in person in Perth, best wishes and take care.

Regards Darryl Pitcher – Editor