Health

The Zack Lockes Flock will be hosting a Big Blue Picnic as a mental health month activity next month in the grounds of St Mark’s Church Warwick. The Big Blue Picnic is a fundraiser for Beyond Blue and will incorporate the official opening of St Mark’s Blue Garden.

Michelle Daw. General practitioners warn a move by the state government to enforce payroll tax on GPs who are not employees could make their practices unviable and force them to close. Revenue SA announced the proposed imposition of payroll tax on South Australian GPs in June...

ABC Trailblazer winner Hayden McDonald will fly into Charlton next Monday, September 25, for a special community event at The Rex Theatre ... Hayden is autistic and a pilot, and has established “Wings Without Barriers” to combine his passions for aviation and promoting real inclusion for people on the spectrum.  

Barkly Region Sport Education has a very famous mascot, Bernie, who travels the region with Pam Dillon, the Barkly Region Sport Education Coordinator. Students in all the Barkly schools know Bernie and are keen to have their photo taken with him when he visits their school.

Last week, the Lions Free Skin Cancer Screening Unit was stationed in Nhill for three days. The team ... are all to be congratulated on their service throughout the three very busy days of screening. A few statistics ... show ... the obvious need for such a service in our area.

Muchea trainer Alan Mathews’ fall from an unraced horse resulted in an operation and a short stint in rehabilitation ... Mathews, who has won six Perth Cups, said the accident that put him in hospital was a fall from a horse that wasn’t even going fast.

Erica Paynter. Australians are famous for stepping up when there is a need and our local district again has not disappointed. Some time ago we sent out a request in On Our Selection News asking for people to make cotton drawstring dignity bags that could be used by one of our hospitals to supply basic toiletries to patients ...

Thanks to overwhelming support from the communities it serves, West Wimmera Health Service has unveiled and commenced using its new X-Ray machine. The new digital X-Ray machine offers shorter exposure times, more accurate imaging, faster examination times, and reduced radiation dose.

Michelle Daw. Chemists on Yorke Peninsula are cutting back on opening hours and making other changes to save money in response to the introduction of 60-day dispensing on September 1 ... “The funding cuts as a result of this new model will cost the average pharmacy $180,000 per year in lost gross profit — the profit which pays the bills and keeps the pharmacy open and brings a resident pharmacist to town with pay and accommodation”: Noel Allen.

Men’s Shed Week is being celebrated from September 3 to 9. It’s an annual event that aims to raise community awareness, knowledge and interest in Men’s Sheds around the country.  Men’s Sheds are vital community investments delivering programs and activities that foster community spirit and contribute to building a more inclusive Australia.  

Every September, Women’s Health Week is celebrated with a different theme every year. For this year, the theme was "Grow your Knowledge". Bec Way, the local school nurse … organised a day out at the Juno Centre for primary school students.

The mass frog mortality event occurred at the lagoon last week, prompting the immediate closure of the popular nature park near Naracoorte. While DEW has confirmed a suspected chytrid fungus outbreak in the area, it has cautioned the public to stay on paths and help reduce the potential spread of the disease.

Women behind a slew of hospital complaints that led to a statewide inquiry into birth trauma say an investigation into their claims "glossed over" their pain. The complaint was filed on behalf of 30 women who say they had traumatic birthing experiences at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

Fin Hansen. Seventeen years after receiving a cochlear implant, Bailey McNicholl has discovered his hearing could have been blocked by a flawed hospital system... The faults resulted in the potential under-mapping of implants, meaning devices were incorrectly programmed in up to 208 recipients, including now 23-year-old Bailey.

Michelle Daw. Security guards have begun work around the clock at Wallaroo Hospital in a six-month trial to combat violence and aggression against staff ... ANMF SA branch chief executive Professor Elizabeth Dabars said the trial of security guards was a great result.

Clarence Valley residents will benefit from an increased level of health and aged care in the Northern Rivers with the news a new private hospital will be built in the region. The Catholic Diocese of Lismore has announced a new private hospital will be built at Lismore and the existing St Vincents private hospital will be transformed into an aged care facility.

The region’s mayors and CEOs will work together to access investment for improved roads, housing, health and education. That was one of the key messages from Naracoorte Lucindale mayor Patrick Ross who recently welcomed the various civic leaders to Naracoorte.

While farming is traditionally seen as a physical occupation, the increased modernisation of machinery has meant farmers are becoming less physically active in their day-to-day tasks.

Local Pennie Cowin is calling on the town’s only supermarket to look after its community better by stocking essential items for residents with special dietary needs. Pennie suffers from Celiac disease, a chronic digestive and immune disorder that damages the small intestine.