Health

Ten Territory nurses will spend the next 12 months building their skills and providing services to remote communities under the Transition to Remote Practice Program. This year is the first time the program recruited a second cohort of participants. They will join the 12 nurses who commenced the program at the beginning of 2022.

Kate Foran. Dogs make fantastic companions and provide such unconditional love, many believing that they exist solely to protect us, be loyal to us, and comfort us. It’s hard to find a better friend than a good loyal dog! They intuitively know our moods, and make the most enthusiastic welcome-home fuss at the end of a long day! ... Being responsible for your dog in Tennant Creek involves a few priorities.

Last week Maldon Primary School received the first of four visits from two very special guests: therapy dogs Archie and Mo, two members of the PAWS in Schools Program ... Evidence shows that the use of therapy dogs in a school setting can contribute towards improving the overall well-being of students.

Guide Dogs Queensland have received a warm welcome in Mount Isa as it looks to pilot an accessibility program in the region. The program will allow organisations and community services to reach the one in six people who have a disability ... Accessibility allows everyone equal opportunity and access to the same information, said Client engagement and collection dog officer, Jonathan Hall.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported a surge in Aussies dying. In 2022, there were 75,593 deaths that occurred by May 31 and were registered by July 31, which is 10,757 (16.6 per cent) more than the historical average. May alone saw 16,124 deaths, 1,922 (13.5 per cent) above the historical average. Of those deaths, 4,465 were attributed to Covid-19, though it is hard to distinguish died ‘with’ from died ‘from’ Covid-19.

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has outlined how Australia can improve its resilience to future pandemics, reduce their economic impact and protect the community. The Strengthening Australia’s Pandemic Preparedness report released, highlights six science and technology areas critical to minimising the impact of pandemics in Australia.

As of NCC 2022, new residential dwellings will need to achieve the equivalent of “7 stars” NatHERS thermal performance. New homes will also have a new annual energy use budget applicable to the home’s major appliances such as space conditioning, hot water, lighting, pool and spa pumps, and any on-site renewable energy generation.

Queensland Minister for Energy and Public Works Mick de Brenni said the changes to the National Construction Code 2022, covered making homes more accessible for people with mobility challenges, and increased the energy efficiency and electric vehicle readiness of new homes.

Dog owners are being cautioned to keep an eye on their animals this spring to ensure a simple frolic does not end with a trip to the veterinarian. Charles Sturt University academics are leading the country in research that could provide widespread benefits for dog owners and veterinarians across the globe.

A Tennant Creek nurse has won a major category in the NT Health Professional of the Year Awards. Tennant Creek Primary School Nurse Rebecca (Beck) Way was awarded Nurse of the Year for her efforts in preventative care and positive health messaging which have helped raise health literacy in the next generation around mental health, drugs and alcohol issues, sexual health and respectful relationships.

The Young at Heart Playgroup, originally designed to connect young children with residents at the Maldon hospital, has been running for over seven years and now has more than 22 families, parents, grandparents and carers attending with their young children ... This year the playgroup has participated in the National Simultaneous Story Time and has started toddler-time sessions with visits from the Castlemaine Library.

Mayors converged on Temora Shire last Friday, to discuss health related matters. The heads of both Hilltops Region, Mayor Margaret Roles and Narrandera Shire, Mayor Neville Kschenka met with Mayor Rick Firman of Temora Shire. The leaders discussed the issue of lack of dialysis services in their communities.

Bob Rees knows only too well that life can change in an instant. And that instant hit him hard when he was on a motorbike trip through Africa with his wife Chris. A reckless driver slammed head on into Chris and Bob’s bike and the result was catastrophic. Chris lost her life, Bob lost his wife and also lost the use of his legs ... it is not just the lack of access to the NDIS that has led Bob to speak out, it's also the obstacles that people with disabilities have to deal with when moving around in public places; especially in country towns.

An initiative to help men with incontinence is being rolled out across the Sunshine Coast. In collaboration with the Continence Foundation, Sunshine Coast Council has installed 102 male incontinence product disposal bins at public amenities locations across the region.

A chlamydia vaccine for koalas could increase the species’ resistance to the potentially fatal disease in a trial in south-west Sydney, which is part of an almost $1.7 million NSW Koala Strategy investment across the region ... “Chlamydia is a serious issue for koalas, leading to blindness, infections and infertility in this precious species. This disease weakens koalas and can make them more susceptible to dog attacks and other threats,”: Minister for Environment James Griffin

Research led by a Charles Sturt University academic examined the innovative ‘SayBananas!’ app that may assist children with speech sound disorders (SSD) and their parents living in less populated areas ... the effectiveness study examined the usability and rating of ‘SayBananas!’, a Mario-style video-game providing high-dose individualised speech therapy with rural Australian children.

Samuel Davis. A proposal to give greater powers to local disaster management groups during public health crises will keep Cape communities safer, a long-time mayor says ... Under Cr Scott’s plan, a health emergency would be treated like a natural disaster, with government agencies working together.

Following its public campaign to get a child care director in Julia Creek, McKinlay Shire Council is now trying to get a new GP to live in the community. The otherwise burgeoning town is emphatically seeking a new doctor at its brand-new health facility.

Nowadays, as a Vietnam Vet, I have come to notice that more people are acknowledging us for what we did as Australian soldiers representing our country ... Coming up is Vietnam Vets Day 2022 and even if your local RSL is not being involved, you can always contribute to this special day by saying g’day to a Vet. You know you know one, don’t do?