Two new Royal Flying Doctor Service remote clinics are now open to the public in the NSW towns of Louth and Tilpa, with Tilpa holding its first clinic day for patients in May. A third clinic in the South Australian town of Innamincka will open its doors soon.
The two clinics, which have been funded by a generous donor, will provide services to the towns and surrounding areas including primary health (doctors, nurses, Aboriginal Health Practitioners, and other specialists), mental health, alcohol and other drugs, and dental care.
Previously, the Flying Doctor primary health clinics were conducted in a range of community spaces such as spare rooms and shearer’s quarters. The clinics will be staffed by health teams on a fly-in-fly-out basis, with a clinic day for community consultations each month, assisted by our generous and dedicated volunteers.
A huge thank you must go to our longstanding donor who supported us to realise these clinics, and the wonderful communities and volunteers involved with getting these clinics off the ground. Clinic Coordinator at Tilpa, Belinda Bennett, said “We are very grateful to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and of course the donor who made these clinics happen. We’re really proud of the new building. It’s exciting to have excellent healthcare right on our doorstep.”
While clinic operations have been limited due to COVID-19, many Flying Doctor services are continuing both face-to-face and via telehealth. The new clinic in Innamincka will also be established once South Australian border restrictions are lifted, a next step the service is eagerly anticipating.
