West prepares for NAIDOC week

THE South West Hospital is leading NAIDOC week preparations, with the celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture to be held from 8-15 July.

Residents took part in last year's NAIDOC Week celebrations in Roma. Picture: Contributed

THE South West Hospital is leading NAIDOC week preparations, with the celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture to be held from 8-15 July.

South West HHS Chief Executive Linda Patat said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities represented about 13.7 per cent of the total population in the southwest region.

"NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity for all of us to join and recognise the outstanding achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the valuable contributions they continue to make to our region, our state and the country,'' she said.

"As a health service, we are strongly committed to improving our services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents and to delivering them in culturally appropriate ways.

"Just recently, we released our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, where closing the gap in health inequality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents is one of our four core priorities over the next four years.

"But achieving this requires much more than the provision of clinical services, it requires us to have an understanding and respect of cultural differences and needs, and a commitment to applying this understanding across all areas of the health service.''

Ms Patat said the South West HHS had been proactive in working toward this goal, appointing several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officers in recent years who provided advocacy and support for patients.

"We already have Liaison Officers in St George, Charleville and Roma who deliver outreach services to the surrounding towns.

"But just recently, we have also added Nina Jordan as a Liaison Officer at Cunnamulla Hospital and appointed Rheanna Bartley at Roma as the South West's first ever Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer Women's Business.

"Additionally, we employ Advanced Aboriginal Health Workers in Dirranbandi, Charleville and St George, who support clinicians in the delivery of health services.”