Progress of Treatment Programme
On the 27th February the Project Team, consisting of Dr Konrad Blackman, Michael Wiese, Sandra Ahokas and Judy Hawker commenced in their new positions for the Jack Jumper Allergy Program at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
A Steering Committee has been established to oversee the progress of the project, and the Business Case has been approved by Senior Management of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The immediate challenges for the project team include:
• Harvesting ants, extracting and preparing venom for injection • Development of laboratory assays to ensure the quality of the venom• Discussions with key stakeholders, including Paediatricians, Emergency Physicians, General Medical Physicians and General Practitioners • Development of Treatment Protocols
The overall aim of these activities is to provide the safest and most effective treatment for those who are unfortunately allergic to the sting of the jack jumper.
As you can appreciate, there are a number of unknowns, so at this stage we are still unclear as to when treatment will be able to begin, however, over the next couple of weeks we will be meeting with key stakeholders, and will keep you informed of our progress.