Laynhapuy Health Services reach some of the most isolated communities in Arnhem Land by using MAF flights to carry staff and essential supplies.
Nurses with Laynhapuy Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services run regular clinics in the homeland communities, and they often fly with MAF from our Arnhem Land base at Gove Airport near Nhulunbuy.
“Some of our homelands are 250km from the nearest town,” said Nurse Rowie. “So, there's no access to a GP, and there's no access to a chemist where people can just run in and get Panadol (paracetamol).”
Laynha Health staff serve 20 remote homelands in an area spanning 6500 square kilometres, sometimes travelling more than 200 kilometres for medical outreaches to the furthest communities.
Outreaches focus on primary health care, and nurses work in clinic buildings when they’re available, or under a tree when they aren’t.
Gutjangan on Bremer Island is a small homeland community without a health clinic and without easy access to the mainland, despite the relatively short distance.
“Without MAF, we probably wouldn't be able to come to Bremer Island,” Rowie said. “Especially throughout the wet season, MAF has been able to transport our nurses, delivering health care to all of the northeast Arnhem Land homelands. They are angels and do beautiful, heart-centred work for us.”
Without MAF, we probably wouldn't be able to come to Bremer Island.
The nurses bring everything from laptops to medications to ECG devices and vaccines in cooler boxes for childhood immunisations to care for their Yolŋu clients. Management of chronic conditions requires close monitoring and regular treatment, and both would be impossible without ready access to the homelands.
“There's no clinic over here,” Rowie said. “So we get in, transport all our nursing equipment under a tree, roll out one of the mats, and we set up, under the tree clinic.”
In the remote communities, many conditions are debilitating and potentially life-threatening if left untreated.
“However, with early diagnosis we can start treating people as soon as these conditions are detected, and early treatment can make a huge difference.
“The Laynahpuy Health team can make a positive impact by bringing medical care directly to Yolngu people, and that empowers them to continue living in their traditional homelands.”
Empowerment at all levels is a key value shared by MAF.
“Help, hope and healing are core aspects of our mission,” said Matt Henderson, Country Director of MAF in Arnhem Land.
“In the Bible, we see that physical healing often accompanies spiritual healing. While separate, they often occur alongside each other. Much of the work we do is an effort to facilitate both physical and spiritual transformation.”
Matt is always quick to remind listeners and readers that the aircraft are merely tools of service, and that the big picture is always the people we work with and work for.
“We use our aircraft and collaborate with local healthcare agencies that work to bring about lasting change in the lives of the Yolŋu people in Arnhem Land,” he said. “And this coincides with MAF’s mission to bring help, hope and healing into remote spaces.”
