By April Murphy
Queensland frontline workers are being thanked for their dedication during COVID-19.
Now labelled “Health Hero’s”, medical workers that have been working tirelessly against the current pandemic are being rewarded by the Queensland Government.
Saturday 26th of September marks the beginning of Health Hero’s week for Queensland. During this week many frontline workers will be recognised for their efforts fighting COVID-19.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles said Health Hero’s week is an opportunity for Queenslanders to say thanks to the state’s frontline and for their hard work to keep people safe over the past eight months.
Queensland frontline Health Heroes will be able to access up to two days additional leave.
“This is one way we can say thank you to all our health heroes for their ongoing and tireless commitment to the pandemic response,” Mr Miles said.
The leave will be given to doctors, nurses, public health teams, ambos, pathology workers and health professionals, as well as support staff who help them do their jobs like cleaners, kitchen staff and administration staff.
“I’ve seen firsthand the dedication and commitment of our healthcare workers to keep our communities safe throughout this pandemic,” Mr Miles said.
Mr Miles has said that the best line of defence against COVID-19 is the health care workforce, who are doing incredible amounts of testing and contact tracing, caring for Queenslanders who become ill, keeping facilities clean, and working behind the scenes to provide the latest health advice and updates to keep the public informed.
The leave is available to eligible staff from the 1st of November 2020 and must be used within two years.
Queensland residents are invited to recognise our Health Hero’s during the dedicated week of organised celebrations, featuring events and activities
You can see a long list of recognised Health Hero’s on the Queensland Health webpage https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/health-heroes