Pharmacy manufacturing unit delivers lifesaving treatment
A lifesaving $6.75 million laboratory at Townsville Hospital is manufacturing medications for North Queensland patients. Minister for Health and Ambulance Service Yvette D'Ath visited the pharmacy manufacturing unit, which allows lifesaving care to be delivered closer to home. ‘‘The laboratory produces about 5000 medications a year for patients requiring bone marrow transplants, oncology treatment, clinical trials, autoimmune conditions and intensive care,’’ Minister D’Ath.
Commonwealth sanctions against Moreton Bay House
Chris Oldfield. The Commonwealth Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has imposed sanctions on Naracoorte’s Moreton Bay House stating “there is an immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or wellbeing” of residents. Following an audit, Moreton Bay House failed 19 of 42 requirements listed under the Commonwealth’s eight industry standards for aged care and safety.
Provider fails 19 requirements for Moreton Bay residents
Chris Oldfield. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission found 19 failures as its reasons to impose a “sanction or notice to agree” against the provider of care for Moreton Bay House.
Maldonites are Maldon’s biggest asset
Mark Blythe. This Sunday will see another Maldon Swap Meet held at the Maldon Racecourse Reserve; the resurgence of events post COVID speaks volumes for the resilience and dedication of Maldon’s army of organisers and volunteers. A lot of rural and regional towns are very busy trying to pick up the pieces of their event industries after the wilderness years of COVID, but Maldon has managed to keep all of their events ticking over during the last two years, in one form or another, even if they were just on life support.
Milestone reached by Healthy Kids bus stop
The award-winning developmental screening program Healthy Kids Bus Stop makes regular visits to Murrumbidgee Local Health District and last week reached a major milestone, with the 1000th child screened in the District since visits began in 2015. The Healthy Kids Bus Stop aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children aged three to five years living in rural and remote communities through early detection of lifestyle risk factors, delayed development and/or illness.
Wellbeing coach a good fit for farmers
Serena Kirby. Fitness and wellbeing coach, Louise O’Neill, has been named as the WA winner of the 2022 AgriFutures rural women’s award ... Her new business model involves one-on-one coaching and live online group ï¬tness workouts conducted with clients via zoom and telephone.
$4m aged care project opens
Gabrielle Duykers. Ten new places are available at Stirling Lodge Aged Care after a much needed expansion was officially completed last week. Located at Keith and District Hospital, the lodge recently underwent a $4.5 million renovation project, funded by a $2.6 million commitment from the Federal Government, a $1 million donation from an anonymous donor, and other donations from members of the community.
Sobrane Simcock – the colourful life of a synesthete
Broome artist Sobrane Simcock, is well known for her brightly coloured, joy-filled paintings and her well-stocked gallery is filled with her eye-catching work. Her artwork also appears in large-scale murals adorning hundreds of walls, watertanks and streetscapes around Australia. But there’s one colourful talent Sobrane usually keeps to herself. Sobrane is a synesthete; one of those rare people with the perceptual phenomenon known as synesthesia.
Lovell: Code Yellow reinforces Labor inaction on new Mildura Hospital funding.
The Liberal member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell says last week’s code yellow call at Mildura Base Public Hospital proves the dire need for a new hospital in the town ... The code yellow was called because both the hospital and the emergency department had reached full capacity and wait times for patients exceeded twelve hours.
Forget Me Nots always remember to have fun
Four years ago, a local group was established to offer support, social interaction, and plenty of fun, laughter and friendship, to Clarence Valley residents living with dementia ... it expanded to include locals affected by memory impairment, and senior citizens with limited opportunities to socialise. Together, they sing, they dance, and they enjoy being in each other’s company.
Blind and vision impaired Aboriginal kids in Tennant find a love for football
Thanks to the John Moriarty Football (JMF) and Australian Blind Football (ABF) partnership blind and vision impaired (BVI) Aboriginal children will be able to participate in JMF’s transformational program through the use of audible balls ... JMF Co-Founder and Co-Chair and the first Indigenous footballer to be selected to play for Australia, Yanyuwa man John Moriarty said the partnership is game changing.
Mr X only Senate candidate to campaign in our towns
Chris Oldfield. “For an elderly person - or any person - with blood cancer to be forced to get on a bus to Adelaide or Warrnambool to see a haematologist while they are very sick, navigate their way to the specialist, then find and pay for accommodation, then get back on a bus for up to 450kms (to return home)– well it’s a disgrace”: Senate hopeful Nick Xenophon.
Consultation starts for new rehab facility location
“With the new Board of Directors, and myself as Chair of BRADAGG commencing in March this year, we are keen to start moving ahead with a clean slate on this sorely needed alcohol and other drug (AOD) therapeutic treatment facility. The NT Government first committed funding towards a new facility in 2018" : Barkly Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Group Chair, Elliot McAdam.
Celebrating nurses in the Barkly region
Nurses around the world were celebrated yesterday as part of International Nurses Day ... This year’s theme is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead - Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health.” We put the spotlight on local Registered Nurse Rizza Pagayon from Tennant Creek Hospital’s GP Clinic.
Action needed on rural, regional and remote healthcare in NSW
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry report into health outcomes in rural, regional, and remote communities but warned that action is also needed at the federal level to ensure the future of general practice care in the bush.
Housing tops agenda at regional TCICA meeting
TCICA chair and Kowanyama mayor Robbie Sands said that at least $1 billion was needed over the next decade in the Cape and Torres Strait to address housing shortages. “Both major parties have been silent on new Indigenous housing in remote communities, ignoring the fact that our people are facing entirely preventable diseases like rheumatic heart disease because of severe overcrowding,” he said.
Mum thrilled with the rise of Talk About It Tuesdays
One year after losing her son, Coen grandmother Jackie Perry opens up on why she helped start a movement called Talk About It Tuesday. So far it has drawn support from a cross-section of Cape York, including big organisations.
Non-profit veterinary service for Mt Alexander
The founding members of Regional Community Vet Clinic (RCVC), Dr Yvette Berkeley, Robyn Slattery and James Mack, were delighted to receive official confirmation from State Member for Bendigo West, Maree Edwards, on the success of their grant application ... RCVC, as a Not-for-Profit community veterinary clinic, will support the elderly, socially and financially disadvantaged in our community, by providing them with access to affordable preventative veterinary care for their companion animals. This will enable the most vulnerable to continue to live in their own homes with their pets.
Concerns over end to alcohol protection in NT
Stephen Clarke, National Indigenous Radio Service. Central Australian Aboriginal Congress today added its voice to a growing chorus of concerns about the forthcoming end to Alcohol Protected Areas in the Northern Territory ... Central Australian Aboriginal Congress CEO, Donna Ah Chee, says the ending of protections will see a return to a “river of grog” flowing through communities.
New sensory garden at Maldon Hospital
With the plantings now in place, residents enjoy walking around the central garden bed. They sit and enjoy hearing the water falling in the water tank feature. They hear the sounds of insects and birds, smell the aromatic plants, watch the various patterns of foliage from different plants, and feel the textures of leaves.
Deputy PM announces doctor training for Tennant Creek
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce flew into Tennant Creek on Wednesday morning to deliver the good news for health in the region. Tennant Creek has been listed as a targeted General Practitioner (GP) recruitment location under the Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS).
Rural voters urged to make rural health matter at ballot box
“We urge rural voters not to be fooled by flashy, ribbon-cutting announcements about new hospital buildings or equipment. Yes, quality health infrastructure is important – but the focus needs to be on getting more doctors and other health professionals into rural and remote towns to deliver services…both this year and in 20 years" : Dr Megan Belot, Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) President.
