ExpertTalk

testing, tracing, and isolation protocols, with additional management of healthcare and hospital response. As it has been over three years of fragmented but coordinated global and national responses, we can certainly advocate noting that three of the highestranked recommendations call for the adoption and implementation of whole-of-society and whole-of-government models, while proven prevention measures using an Covid-19 immunization approach that incorporates a wide range of public health and financial support measures to additionally compliment the vaccination programs. Long term priorities would be to monitor the situation and develop more flexible public health response strategies as we really don’t know when the next pandemic may hit back and please remember that it may not be related to Covid or one of its variants. Obviously we have learned a lot and probably desire more credit than we realize. We were very vulnerable initially but resilient and quicky learned to adapt as a society on a global level. I still have to acknowledge the positive role Chinese healthcare workers played at the very start of the pandemic, it’s sad that they are not properly recognized as they were at the forefront and only took them few weeks to share the genomic sequence of the Covid-19 virus. This has been unfortunately politicized a lot around the world, precious time was lost and some countries are still talking about it.

10.What do you hope to accomplish for Monash Health in the next five years?

An internationally recognised cardiothoracic surgeon and public health officer who joined the Covid19 public health response in Melbourne, Australia. After having spent initial 18 months of pandemic, working with Victorian State Department of Health he joined Monash Public Health Unit which took over the Covid-19 management in southeastern Melbourne suburbs.

It’s very hard to foresee the future and especially with Covid-19 being so adaptable and variant prone virus. For myself personally I do intend to further contribute to public health and stay in some capacity at Monash Health, although my next endeavour might be in research and clinical work, so I will try to be involved on multiple fronts of challenging medical and public health issues. I look forward to complete the necessary transitions of public health response in age care facilities which at the moment take most of my time. We should be a better and safer place in 5 years from now and I can see the changes and improvement literary on a daily basis. Hopefully we can say that for many other regions in the world as well. Who knows we may touch base again in 5 years and reflect? Time will only tell.