HEALTH FUNDING 'GAME-CHANGER'
A GAME-CHANGING investment in First Nations people’s health in Toowoomba has the potential to revolutionise Aboriginal health in Australia, the program’s director says.
Carbal Medical Services, which sits on Giabal and Jarowair land, has received $690,000 from the Federal Government to run the Timely Allied Health for Mob trial, which will provide on-site access to allied health professionals across podiatry, chiropractic, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, nutrition, dietetics, non-dispensing pharmacy, audiology, optometry, occupational therapy, speech pathology and diabetic education.
Carbal Medical Services CEO Brian Hewitt said when patients were referred on to see allied health professionals in the public sector they often faced long waiting lists.
“If this is replicated after the success of the two year trial nationally, it has the potential in my view to be most significant change in delivery of Aboriginal health in this country for at least the past decade,” Mr Hewitt said.
Carbal allied health manager Chantal Draper said a large number of the 6000 clients the health service treated had a chronic illness, predominantly diabetes and heart disease.
“For them to be able to access a diabetes educator, a podiatrist, an exercise physiologist and other providers is imperative to their health,” she said.
“It will help reduce the chronic disease we have in our community and our culture.”
The University of Southern Queensland has also received $200,000 for a research project that will focus on wound care in Aboriginal communities, and involve investigating infections present and different biomarkers that show how the body is responding to the wound.
Groom MP John McVeigh said the funding came from the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme Emerging Priorities Round grant.
“If we are to make meaningful progress in improving health outcomes for Indigenous Australians this collaborative approach, whereby onthe-ground expertise and knowledge is supported and fostered to generate effective, accessible health services and improvements, is critical,” Dr McVeigh said.