Five Aboriginal communities in the upper Fitzroy Valley now have their own ambulance.
WA Country Health Service donated the vehicle to Kurangal Council, which represents Gilly Sharpe, Kupartiya, Ngarantjadu, Ngumpan and Wangkatjungka communities.
They are all located about an hour’s drive from the nearest hospital at Fitzroy Crossing.
You can read a media release here:
KURUNGAL COUNCIL INC
Authorising Council for the Communities of Gilly Sharpe, Kupartiya,
Ngarantjadu, Ngumpan, Wangkatjungka
February 26, 2014
One-of-a-kind health partnership delivers Kurungal Council’s first ambulance
A unique country health partnership is delivering outcomes that significantly benefit remote Aboriginal communities within the Kurungal Council.
The Fitzroy Valley Health Partnership, an agreement between WA Country Health Service Kimberley and Nindilingarri Cultural Health Service, was established to deliver effective, efficient and culturally safe health care to the region.
As a result of this partnership, Kurungal Council, which represents Wangkatjungka, Kupartiya and Ngumpan communities, has been gifted a purpose-built ambulance.
Acting Regional Director of WACHS Kimberley, Bec Smith, said the dedicated clinic vehicle means precious time is saved as patients previously had to source their own vehicles for the one-hour journey to the nearest hospital at Fitzroy Crossing.
“Kurungal Council was seeking the partnership’s assistance in securing a community clinic vehicle, and around the same time the request came through, WACHS Kimberley had received funding through the Royalties for Regions scheme to replace the fleet of ambulance vehicles servicing Fitzroy, Halls Creek and Derby,” Ms Smith explained.
“As a result of the replacement, WACHS Kimberley had a troop carrier ambulance vehicle that was no longer required and could be gifted to Kurungal Council.”
After road safety inspections and modifications to suit the needs of Kurungal Council, the vehicle was finally handed over late February 2014.
Chief Executive Officer at Kurungal Council, Viane Watson, said the partnership and resulting vehicle donation is an innovative outcome.
“Having the two organisations work together means they are in touch with what’s happening on the ground,” Mr Watson said.
“Before the donation of the ambulance, if there needed to be transportation to take sick people from the community to hospital, they had to rely on themselves.
“There have been times where late at night there have been sick babies and we had to try find a way to get that baby to hospital as soon as possible.”
Ms Smith says the partnership is unique in the way relevant health providers work together.
“The Fitzroy Valley Health Partnership is a partnership; it’s very unique and it’s the first of its kind,” she said.
“Maureen Carter, the CEO of Nindilingarri, has been instrumental in developing the partnership and really forging ahead with it.
“The key thing to making the partnership work is constant communication between service providers at an executive level, but also on the ground with staff that are delivering services.
“This partnership instills confidence in the community that we’ve got a great model where WACHS and Nindilingarri cultural service are working together.”
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