Health

The Narrandera Branch of NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Union members took to the streets as part of strike action last Wednesday (November 23). About 15 Narrandera NSWNMA Union Members and numerous community representatives showed their support during a march in East Street ... Taking a stance, the members highlighted their plight of fighting for safer staffing levels by means of more acceptable nurse-to-patient ratios.

When I came to rural NSW pathology in the 1990's, there were approximately six rural cytology positions employed in the government pathology laboratories in the state and a single rural cytology position employed by the private sector. So the number of trained cytology positions was never large and very much fewer in rural areas. However, as of 2016-17 they are non-existent in any rural NSW pathology setting, private or public sector. Similarly, numbers are greatly reduced for most of the other specialist pathology positions, especially pathologists themselves.

Ryan Saunders died in hospital. He was nearly three years old. His parents were worried he was getting worse and didn’t feel their concerns were being acted upon by medical staff. They were right ... When Ryan’s death was found to have been preventable, the Queensland Department of Health made a commitment to introduce a patient escalation process to minimise the possibility of a similar event occurring. It is called Ryan’s Rule.

After recent rains in Tennant Creek, the Mozzie Mob is back to work under a renewed program to cleanse the town of the dengue mosquito. NT Health Director of Medical Entomology at the Centre for Disease Control, Nina Kurucz, said a fresh round of home backyard inspections will begin with technical officers in town to conduct inspections to prevent an outbreak.

Whilst those who are located regionally ... are well versed in the gaps in healthcare availability, there is a lack of practical solutions to meet the demand and support these communities deserve ... Open Support offers a 100 per cent free of charge transport program which aims to help bridge the gap in access to healthcare for those who live in regional NSW by providing transport services across Sydney.

Four new registered nurses have joined the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service as part of a Queensland-first program to attract people from the city to the country. The nurses are part of the Rural Generalist Registered Nurse Program workforce initiative.

Last Friday, Tennis Victoria, Buldau Yioohgen (Anglicare’s Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy) and the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Community hosted Culture on Court in Castlemaine - an event that mixed culture with tennis plus plenty of fun in a culturally safe environment. Participants improved their tennis skills and experienced cultural activities.

Rodney Stevens. Growing up as the son of a policeman, Craig Stalker almost followed in his father’s footsteps, but his decision to join Ambulance NSW as a paramedic saw him serve for 41 years around the state, culminating this week after 36 years stationed at Maclean ... Over four decades Mr Stalker said he attended hundreds of fatalities and serious crashes including the horrific Cowper bus crash in 1989.

Campaspe Shire Council would like to reassure the community that the mosquito monitoring program is continuing right across the shire, treating breeding sites, and trapping insects. Acting Director Community, Mr Andrew Fletcher said the program, jointly funded by the State Government and Council, usually operates across the summer season, from around November to March, however did not stop at the start of 2022 due to the presence of the Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV).

Cairns Private Hospital has announced an $18 million expansion, including the development of two new theatres, to cater for the demand for leading private health care in the region. Construction is due to begin next month with the first new theatre to be operational in mid-2024. The expansion will also include a new state-of-the-art sterilising department.

As the granddaughter of Australia’s first Aboriginal bishop and the niece of an award-winning fashion designer, Sara Fagan set her bar high from an early age. “I’ve always wanted to be a surgeon,” says the  Medical Program  student. “I've also got an unfinished paramedicine degree that I want to complete, but that's a future problem!”

ACALS has opened in Casino in a prominent position near the roundabout at Centre and Barker streets. ACALS stands for Accessible Care and Lifestyle Services.  The Casino office has 10 staff who help people in all kinds of situations.

The 2022 Muval Index has revealed that the desire to live in a better home or location is the main reason Australians relocate, that rising cost of living has overtaken Covid as a motivating factor to move, that the search for affordable housing is prompting new waves of internal migration from capital cities into the regions and interstate, and that west is a popular direction to go post-pandemic.

Samuel Davis. Simmering tensions between Queensland Health and a Cape York medical service over a major cyber security breach have surfaced in a leaked email sent to community leaders. Apunipima Cape York Health Council staff have been locked out of information systems since the remote service suffered a ransomware attack two weeks ago.

The Commonwealth and Victorian governments have come together to prepare the Centre for National Resilience at Mickleham to provide crisis accommodation for Victorians affected by widespread flooding. From Tuesday, 250 beds at the Mickleham facility will open to help people whose homes have been inundated.

Rita de Bon is a 15-year-old event rider with dreams of competing at the highest level. Despite being born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and battling the disease all through her young life, horses have been part of it. “She is determined,” her mother, Bhakti, said. “And even though at times the CF interferes, she knows what she wants to achieve and continues on.” ... Although her mother said no Thoroughbreds, they did look at one, a 16hh gelding named Puffin and Rita instantly fell in love.

People in cardiac arrest will have a greater chance of survival thanks to a $2.5 million partnership between NSW Ambulance and the pioneering smartphone app GoodSAM. Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the technology alerts trained responders to someone nearby in cardiac arrest, so CPR can be started before paramedics arrive.