The structural underpinning of our health response to the pandemic

Victoria excels in health services management but is seriously deficient in allocative efficiency. It has the capacity to analyse population health but it does not use it to guide policy decision-making and resource allocation, writes Tom Keating.

Errors take place even in the most well-run systems.

In the case of the hotel quarantine program for returned travellers, it is clear that the errors were substantial and their impact has been calamitous. The Victorian government is doing all it can do in the circumstances — critically examine the events through an independent inquiry and learn from this while working to ameliorate the adverse effects.