Selfless act between Coles and clinic

APPRECIATION is high on the Surf Coast for its healthcare workers at the local Torquay COVID-19 clinic, following the kind act of two local supermarket employees.

Located on 100 Surf Coast Highway next to to the Surf Coast Medical Centre, the COVID-19 clinic has been serving the local community over the course of the pandemic and it has been far from a walk in the park for those working there as of late.

The number of workers at the clinic can fluctuate, but it can hold up to nine call centre staff, nine nurses and two support staff should the need for extra hands be required.

However, in a moment of selflessness and kindness, two employees from the Torquay Coles supermarket chose to brighten the workers’ day last Tuesday, dropping off bags of food and produce containing fruits, deserts, and much-needed coffee.

Working long shifts can be tiresome, but when people have donated things to the clinic’s workers in the past, it lifts everyone’s day according to nurse Jane Archer.

“It lets us know that people are thinking of us and we greatly appreciate it,” Ms Archer said.

“Particularly in probably the last four months, the clinic has been really, really, constantly busy and we have had to change and adapt, as well as provide extra testing.”

This isn’t the first time Torquay Coles has provided complimentary produce to the clinic, providing an abundance of “goodies” to the workers earlier this year around Easter.

Associate nurse unit manager Gill Black, was there on the day the produce was delivered and her reaction was the same as every other worker.

“The staff were blown away by the surprise visit,” Ms Black said.

“They felt grateful that people think of us, that they had gone out of their way to say
thank you.

“It shows the workers that people care, and it made them feel happy and appreciated.”

More than 95 per cent of residents living on the Surf Coast have had their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 67.1 per cent are fully vaccinated as of September 27.

A major reason for these high vaccination rates is because of the work being conducted by the employees of the COVID-19 clinic in Torquay.

Head to barwonhealth.org.au/coronavirus/where-to-get-tested to make your vaccination booking on the Surf Coast.