To deliver effective healthcare services in Arnhem Land, medical staff need a ready and reliable form of access to every homeland community—whether it’s dry season or ‘the wet’.
Aviation is a vital part of the healthcare mix in this isolated region of Australia.
“Usually if someone is unwell, we call and say, ‘Hey, we need some help,’” says Natalie Atkinson, Clinic Manager for Laynhapuy Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (Laynha Health).
Natalie and her multidisciplinary team try to visit the Laynhapuy homelands at least once a week, travelling by both car and aircraft, but in the wet season, air transport becomes especially important.
“In the wet season, the travel time increases a lot, so anywhere from 2.5 hours, sometimes 4 or 5 hours, depending on where we're going,” said Natalie. “So being able to get to places quicker and have more time on the ground is really valuable.”
On arriving at a homeland clinic, the nurses set up a small whiteboard by the door with a list of names on it, and word gets around the community. Patients walk to the clinic and take a seat on the porch to await their turn out of reach of the blistering sun.
And particularly when other services can only land in two of our homelands, that's when MAF services are fantastic for us because no other organisation can help.
Natalie explains how homeland clinics work.
“As part of our planning of outreach trips, we have a list of people who we would like to see, based on priorities of either tests we've done previously and following up with results, or chronic disease management, or—if we know someone's had an acute illness—following up to make sure that's resolved,” she said.
However, seasonal and cultural movements can impact clinic attendance, and Laynha Health staff work together with homelands to ensure that healthcare is delivered where it’s needed most, such as when a homeland population may briefly triple or quadruple during a funeral.
“Even though we have a list of people that we want to see, it's really about what the community wants,” said Natalie.
“We're very much about the community deciding who we see first, and I think that's really important because there are so many cultural sensitivities that we're not aware of, and it's important that we respect that.
“So, we see anyone who wants to be seen, walk-ins as well as trying to see those people that we want to see before we leave.”
And outside of scheduled, carefully planned visits, aeromedical retrievals are a literal lifeline when there’s been an accident or a sudden illness.
“The other valuable part of aviation is the opportunity to get people out quickly,” Natalie said.
“When people are unwell, having access to a plane and getting them to the hospital or definitive care much quicker is really invaluable.
“And particularly when other services can only land in two of our homelands, that's when MAF services are fantastic for us because no other organisation can help.”
