Tiwi Islands: Dr Sam Hone speaks about combating the virus in Wurrumiyanga

A remote medical practitioner has spoken about combating a rapidly spreading virus in a small community.

A REMOTE community doctor has spoken about the challenges and successes of keeping the

Tiwi Islands safe as Covid-19 rapidly spread.

With the co-operation of local leaders, Wurrumiyanga general practitioner Dr Sam Hone called

the vaccine rollout across the Tiwi Islands a success. Once Covid arrived in the community, Dr Hone said the virus spread, more than what the health centre had the resources to deal with.

“We changed our tactic, we focused on catching up with completing the vaccination for the

adults that hadn’t had their boosters yet,” Dr Hone said.

“(We) focused on our vulnerable clients and making sure they were protected. Probably about by three weeks into it, we started to relax a bit because we realised that not many people were getting seriously unwell.”

Dr Hone said the widespread administration of the Covid vaccine was key to how well the community responded to the virus.

“The fact that we got a lot of people vaccinated, I think we’ve prevented a lot of bad outcomes from happening, so all in all, a massive success story,” he said.

“Thank you to the people who actually developed the vaccine that quickly and got it around the world. I just think it’s a human achievement of a massive proportion.”

Wurrumiyanga kids get their second jab

AFTER more than a year of rolling out a seismic vaccination program, NT Health workers are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel after working a year like a “speeding bullet train”.

More than one year on since the Covid-19 vaccine was made accessible in the Territory, NT Health staff have gone to incredible lengths to vaccinate locals, particularly in remote communities.

Top End Health Service Covid-19 vaccination co-ordinator Tracy Porter and her teams of nurses worked seven days a week, with 16-hour days for most of the year.

Not the most conventional office space but for Tracy Porter who is on a mission to vaccinate a whole community over two days … it will do. Picture: Floss Adams.

On Tuesday, Ms Porter and nurses Cheyne Fortune and Aydan Boscheinen embarked on something similar to a wild-goose chase.

Driving around the Tiwi Island community of Wurrumiyanga in a small van, the team had an ambitious goal of tracking down and vaccinating 140 kids, between the ages 5 to 11.

“Right from the beginning, Wurrumiyanga was the most successful community that we vaccinated because all stakeholders in the whole community were involved,” Ms Porter said.

In Wurrumiyanga, respected Sister Anne Gardiner was one of the first to get vaccinated. She did so in front of most of the community, attracting a high level of trust for the jab.

Perched in the front seat of the NT Health vaccination van is Monica Pilakui, who has from the beginning assisted the NT Health team in their demanding task of vaccinating the community.

A galvanised force of nature, as a woman Ms Pilakui is traditionally an unlikely figure in an Aboriginal community but in Wurrumiyanga she is strong and vocal, unafraid to be heard and seen as a leader.

With the window down, she traces kids from every corner of the community, from the street to their backyards. Ms Pilakui speaks in Tiwi language to translate the importance of the vaccine.

“When the vaccine came out, a lot of people didn’t want to get the needle so we had to talk and encourage them. It’s good to have that vaccine,” Ms Pilakui said.

The priority of the day was to vaccinate kids aged 5 to 11 but anyone who also needed the vax was eligible – adults or teens can have their shot too while the team was around.

Ms Porter spoke about the difficulties of executing a vaccine rollout in a community without the help of community leaders like Ms Pilakui and the local health centres.

“The health centres in all communities are vitally important to us for its success because they already have the trust and the relationship with the community,” Ms Porter said.

Top End Health Service Covid-19 vaccination co-ordinator Tracy Porter has worked tirelessly to vaccinate indigenous communities for more than a year now. Picture: Floss Adams.

Ms Pilakui’s relative Iranaus Orsto was reluctant to get his second vaccination but with encouragement from Aunty Monica, his fear soon dissipated.

“I was a bit scared to have the needle, lucky aunty came and told me why it’s important to have the needle,” Mr Orsto said.

Originally published as Tiwi Islands: Dr Sam Hone speaks about combating the virus in Wurrumiyanga