A scathing submission from the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has likened the handling of the coronavirus pandemic as like witnessing “a slow car crash”.

The AMA made the scathing comparison in its submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.

In the submission, AMA Victoria President Julian Rait calls for a royal commission.

He states this type of inquiry is necessary “in order to learn and apply lessons learned from this pandemic and build a sustainable
and resilient workforce and health system for the future”.

Associate Professor Rait notes the State Control Centre was activated in March to oversee and coordinate Victoria’s
response to the pandemic, but we rarely hear from the Emergency Management Commissioner.

He said it appears that Premier Daniel Andrews and his cabinet, make the decisions, supported by advice from the health department.