CARH - the Red Centre ...

Three weeks in central Australia working from Alice Springs out to remote community. Week 1 Elliott, north of Alice Springs.



Flew in and provided the necessary administrative support for the three nurses. Administrative you ask ? Yep, the clinical skills of the nurses are not lacking, however due to medicare and other legal requirements, a doctor must sign off on certain processes, such as writing new "rural scripts" (free medications for 12 months), reviewing pathology results, signing patient transport requests, listening to hearts for child health checks and completing chronic disease management care plans and reviews. The electronic records system is cumbersome and process driven, hampering normal clinical work flow but at least allows region wide access to a medical record for a mobile population. If used properly (and in my opinion is often not) then it also provides a potentially effective recall system.




Second week was spilt between Watarrka (Kings Canyon) and Imanpa. Flew into Kings Creek airstrip and stopped off at Kings Creek station to provide medical services to those who needed it, stayed for lunch (this station is set up on the main road to Kings Canyon and provides a good selection of tourist and visitor activities) then headed off to Watarkka via a small community of three families off the main road, again for the necessary health checks and medical services. A day and a half at the Kings Canyon Clinic, then left on the Wednesday to stop off at another small community off the main road and then on to Imanpa for 2 days.

The third week was spent at Ali Curung, about 360km north of Alice Springs. Travelled with a young doctor who was attached to CARH (Central Australia Rural Health) for 10 weeks as part of an advanced training program.

Out of respect for the privacy of the communities I worked with I can't say much (certainly not about who and what unusual medical conditions I saw), however two things must be said.

1) I am most grateful for the communities for allowing me to onto their land and sharing with me a little of central Australian indigenous life.
2) I am again shamed that we have third world health conditions in our own back yard.

In closing, very significant bush fires were around the whole region for many weeks, including very close to the Kings Creek station after I had left. This picture was taken just off the main road heading back to Alice Springs from Ali Curung.



I may well be back for another visit to NT in the future.