Future Campbelltown: Minto’s Lidija Faamau speaks out on need for health workforce investment

Campbelltown has become one of the biggest health hubs in Sydney with almost one in three local jobs either in health or education. A medicine student has revealed the challenges of postcode stereotypes.

Telegraph May 12 2023 Context: Campbelltown Med Student Lidija Faamau Pictured: Lidija Faamau Photographer: Christian Anstey

Campbelltown, on the southwest outskirts of Sydney, has welcomed millions of dollars in investment into health infrastructure in recent years however, a future face of the health workforce has spoken of the need to create more pathways for young people to take on careers in medicine.

The Macarthur region, particularly in Campbelltown, has benefited from a surge in medical infrastructure and services investment.

Last year, construction of the new 12-storey clinical services building at Campbelltown Hospital, the centrepiece of the $632m Stage 2 redevelopment, was completed.

But, there have been calls to focus on a need for staffing by creating more pathways for young people into medicine and more services to curb a rise in preventable diseases.

A Future Campbelltown report to be released this Friday by Committee for Sydney and SGS Economics and Planning reveals 31 per cent of jobs in the Campbelltown area are in the health and education sectors industry.

It also states 25 per cent of Campbelltown’s residents work in the health and education sector.

Born and raised in Minto and a graduate from Sarah Redfern High School, 19-year-old Lidija Faamau, has embarked on a 10-year journey to become a paediatrician and is in her first year of a Bachelor of Medical Science at Campbelltown’s Western Sydney University campus.

Lidija Faamau. Picture: Christian Anstey

Ms Faamau said young people from Campbelltown could face stereotypes that they had no ambition to go to university as a result of where they live.

“Sometimes I think people have ideas about what I can do because of the demographic where I grew up, and everyone is shocked that I am going through with it,” she said. “It only gave me more motivation. I want to make something of myself and contribute to the community, especially in Campbelltown.”

Ms Faamau credited her love and passion for science and medicine to two high school teachers and said all students should be given the same opportunities.

Aerial images of Campbelltown Hospital after the completion of the new clinical services building in 2022. Picture: Craig Willoughby SKYview Aerial

She said it was essential to encourage young people from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds to enter the health workforce at all levels to ensure better health care.

The Future Campbelltown report also reveals between 2016 and 2021, there was a 50 per cent increase in the number of bachelor or higher degrees held by the LGA’s workforce.

It also showed in the SGS Cities and Regions Wellbeing Index, Campbelltown performs lower than greater Sydney across a range of wellbeing indicators, including health but compares more evenly to greater NSW.

Western Sydney University manager of strategy and delivery Tom Nance said the data showed people who experience disadvantage could face barriers in accessing higher education.

“We need to deploy targeted strategies to make sure students from equity groups can overcome those barriers to make sure they can contribute particular in human facing roles like those hat exit within the health and medical industry,” he said.

“If our health workforce does not reflect the diversity of western Sydney, ultimately it will lead to poorer outcomes.”

Mr Nance said there had been a significant focus on health infrastructure as the region experienced rapid population growth.

But for the future of Campbelltown, he said there needed to be a focus on ensuring infrastructure and staffing levels could cope with the increasing demand.

“It is also important for us to look at preventive health conditions,” he said. “When we look at Campbelltown and surrounds, we see a higher than average proportion of preventable diseases like diabetes and heart conditions.

“We know that if we build cities that encourage incidental exercise and ensure it’s not a fresh food dessert but affordable options for families, then we see the health outcomes turn the corner.”

Campbelltown MP Greg Warren said increasing staffing levels and encouraging more people to study health would reduce the burden on workers.

He also said there was a critical need for more mental health services in Campbelltown, particularly for adolescents.