Vanishing act: New health chief quits the job before he even starts
The man chosen to replace Jeannette Young as the state’s chief health officer has sensationally quit the post days before he was due to take over.
Health Minister Yvette DāAth broke the news on Thursday afternoon just hours after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk praised Dr Youngās tenure in parliament.
āFor personal reasons, Dr Krispin Hajkowicz will no longer be taking up the position of Chief Health Officer,ā the minister said in a statement.
āDeputy CHO Dr Peter Aitken will act in the role until a permanent replacement is appointed.
DāAth said she ārespected Dr Hajkowiczā decision and his request for privacyā.
Dr Young is in her final week in the role she has held for 16 years as she prepares to become the stateās 27th Governor on Monday.
Palaszczuk led tributes to Youngās work in state parliament on Thursday, describing the burden she carried during the pandemic as āunprecedentedā.
āThis has meant enormous pressure, sleepless nights, and a torrent of information which she has processed calmly and clinically, with compassion and care,ā she said.
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Young has previously described infectious diseases physician Hajkowicz, as āthe perfect personā to succeed her as the state prepares for an increase in cases when the border opens.
Palaszczuk said that prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Young campaigned for better health outcomes for issues including smoking, obesity and the flu.
āAnything from a public health perspective that improves the lives of Queenslanders ā from the inner-cities to our remote indigenous communities,ā Palaszczuk added.
Of Youngās work, DāAth said the state was now in the best possible position, with low COVID-19 case numbers and no community spread, as it prepares to open its borders in December.
āShe has taken her role extremely seriously, it has weighed heavily. She knew what the risks were in every single decision she made,ā she said.
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