Lab tour comes just weeks after her emotional speech in Parliament
Member of Parliament for Dunkley Peta Murphy visited a pathology laboratory at Peninsula Health in Frankston.
The aim of the tour was to demonstrate the importance and value of pathology and show to the newly elected Member why Australia has some of the highest quality pathology services in the world.
Know Pathology Know Healthcare ambassador Dr David Clift shared his knowledge with Ms Murphy. Dr Clift has been an anatomical pathologist for the past 40 years and told anecdotes from his extensive career.
One of the highlights on this particular tour was having the chance to see one of the pathologists studying a small intestine for abnormalities in the histopathology department. Witnessing this was not for the faint-hearted!
Ms Murphy also learnt about the importance and role of a hospital blood bank. Blood Bank Senior Scientist Michael Wiggins played some guessing games with the group and encouraged everyone to share what their blood group was. Unsurprisingly, only a few people on the tour knew their blood groups. Michael reassured everyone that this was not something to be too concerned about, as blood groups and antigens would always be thoroughly checked by his team before any blood transfusions.
Ms Murphy took a close look at some unusual slides through a multi-headed microscope in Haematology. This instrument allows multiple people, staff and students alike, to observe the same slide at once and discuss their findings.
Ms Murphy was impressed by the quality of the work and the dedication of the staff at the pathology lab. She has said that she will use her platform to voice the value of pathology and to ensure that more people know about what goes on behind the scenes.
