Diagnosis positive
The death of an Aboriginal youth in 1983 sparked the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, leading to 339 recommendations.
One of these recommendations was the delivery of culturally appropriate health services. Despite the bad press Aboriginal health receives, it has been improved enormously over the last decade by a unique approach that simply makes sense.
“It’s not just a nurse versus a patient or a doctor versus a patient sitting in a clinic, its actually using a family team approach, so everyone understands in that family what’s affecting that person, and how they can maybe bring about changes so the conditions don’t develop such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke”
Anne Flynn dominates the role of practice nurse at Mawarnkarra Health Service like a force of nature. With purple and blue streaks through her dark hair and funky black glasses, Anne looks city savvy but lives for her job travelling to remote communities to help educate and care for people, outback style.
Mawarnkarra Health Service advocates a holistic approach to delivering services in the remote Pilbara town of Roebourne, Western Australia. This means mental and social conditions are assessed along with physical symptoms. The Aboriginal definition of health incorporates the mind, spirit and land, so a holistic view is more appropriate than traditional western methods.
A midwife and registered nurse, Anne has been nursing for over 30 years in regional Australia and views primary healthcare as a positive solution to poor health as it embraces all the needs of the individual.
“Primary healthcare is my passion and has been for the last approximately 10 years in which I’ve primarily worked in indigenous care. I’ve always said once a nurse always a nurse you know if that’s your passion in life and it is for me.”
The incorporation of cultural activities into treatment and education projects has done much in the area to win the trust of the people. Fishing has been used as a safe, relaxed activity to explain the need for cervical cancer screening to women that previously would not have responded to traditional approaches such as information leaflets.
Many of the women then go back to their respective family groups and further educate them, so when it is time to be screened the attendance is enormous and enthusiastic. Anne sees a bright future in bringing about change, and feels nurses in the field generally band together and stay there as they witness real benefits. And what’s at the top of her health wish list?
“I think more money being pumped into primary healthcare”
Joyce Trust the CEO of Mawarnkarra Health Service explains poverty is the core root of many health issues in the area, despite being part of the Pilbara’s mining powerhouse that supplies 34 percent of the world’s sea-borne iron ore trade.
“This area is a very wealthy area what with all the mining, but you’ve still got the difference”
