‘Inconceivable’ Dundee Beach residents living without basic health care

THE health needs of a growing Top End outpost and tourism destination are being ignored residents say, as the government fails to establish a permanent clinic

THE health needs of a growing Top End outpost and tourism destination are being ignored residents say, as the government fails to establish a permanent clinic nearly two decades after promising one.

The population of Dundee Beach and the surrounding region, 130km from Darwin, has now grown to an estimated 600 residents with the town boasting four tourists parks, 72 AirBnb and homestay units, three pubs and a number of fishing charter operations.

But the town, which has grown to such a size it has a primary school, does not have a permanent health clinic, a situation made worse by patchy and unreliable telecommunication infrastructure.

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Dundee Progress Association chair Rod Smith said it was “inconceivable” the town was living without basic health care.

He said in one incident, a local resident was told to drive their husband who had a heart attack was told to drive for an hour into Darwin on a road with patchy reception to meet with the ambulance.

In a recent incident, a woman who had a stroke had to travel to one of the tourist parks to contact emergency services as she had no mobile phone coverage.

In 2002 then-Chief Minister Clare Martin committed to setting up a visiting doctor service for the community. It had 320 residents then and the service never eventuated.

The NT Primary Health Network in a 2019 report described Dundee as an area of priority as it had “no primary health service and a very high level of resident concern”.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the NT and federal governments, through the NTPHN, “were considering clinical services options” for Dundee.

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“This process involves extensive engagement with Dundee residents and key health service delivery stakeholders,” she said.

It’s understood new technology, including Telstra and NBN satellite equipment, was installed at the existing health facility in August last year.

Daly MP Ian Sloan, who raised the issue in parliament recently, said the government’s movements were a “good starting point” but ongoing conversation was needed.

He said Dundee’s ageing population and growing popularity as a tourism destination necessitated additional medical facilities.