Remote Territory communities want decisive action to keep people safe from virus
A LEADING science network has called for decisive and urgent action on the prevention of COVID-19 spreading to Territory communities.
Northern Territory
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THE Central Australia Academic Health Science Network has called for decisive and urgent action on the prevention of COVID-19 spreading to remote Australian communities.
The network’s executive director Chips Mackinolty wants an absolute priority to be given to minimising risk and preventing death in communities across Central Australia.
Mr Mackinolty said the network believed it was critical that rapid and extensive testing be rolled out as soon as possible, so that such work was timely and localised.
He said as a first step this should be located in Alice Springs, rapidly followed by other regional centres.
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“We are in this together, and we have a collective responsibility at all levels of government and health service delivery to keep people safe,” said Mr Mackinolty. “A major priority in our endeavours is working with Aboriginal communities and support to the primary health services in the bush and our regional centres.
“Of paramount concern is that our health services – already severely under resourced – not be further burdened. Just as happened in the recent bushfire crises, we would see it as essential that Commonwealth-funded remote area health medical workers be brought in to help.
“Things that might work in the big cities simply won’t work out bush, so we need to focus on local solutions.”
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Mr Mackinolty said that CAAHSN would continue to be informed by messaging from the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT (AMSANT) and the Department of Health. AMSANT has already been supplying advice to member services, with a focus on updating vaccinations and a focus on day-to-day preventive measure such as hand washing.
“A major priority from the Commonwealth and NT governments should be a major effort in providing accurate and concise information to Aboriginal people – with a strong emphasis given to delivering such information in First Nations languages,” he said.
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