For one day, we follow Flight Nurse Izzy Graham, part of a dedicated team flying across southwest Queensland to assist country people in need of medical and healthcare. This is Izzy’s day.
6:00am
We usually start work at 6:00am but it can be earlier if there’s an emergency. After a quick discussion with the Pilot and Doctor, we check our equipment to ensure it’s in working order and pack the aircraft so we can respond quickly to a call out.
7:00am
The wheels are up, and we have an urgent task. John* has presented to Charleville hospital with pain, shortness of breath and tightening of the chest. He lives seven hours drive from the appropriate medical facility and needs an urgent body scan to find a blood clot. We fly John to Toowoomba hospital for further care, saving five and a half hours on his journey.
9:30am
Now we’re flying to Thargominda, a tiny town without their own GP. It’s a beautiful part of our outback: take a look at the stunning red surrounds as we prepare to land.
11:00am
In Thargo we run a weekly clinic providing essential GP services. At 34 weeks pregnant with her first child, Ash needs regular check-ups to ensure baby is developing properly. Ash is so grateful she can access our services. Alright, back to it.
3:00pm
Time for a mid-air snack break. One thing people don’t realise is how small some of our aircraft are, as you can see in this photo. But we can work magic! In this tiny space, our patients get the same level of care as they would in the hospital.
4:00pm
I’m on the home stretch now. Sitting next to me is Amy*. She’s 85 years young and this is her first time on a plane! Amy has been unwell for the past five days hoping her illness would pass. But her symptoms now include difficulty breathing and fluid in her lungs. We’ll fly her from Chinchilla to Toowoomba hospital for further investigation.
6:00pm
Sunsets up here are like no other. When the sun’s low, it also means I’m close to home. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to hit the hay.
One quick thing before I go… I want to personally thank you for helping Queenslanders access emergency and primary health care, no matter how remote they are. We can’t do this life-saving work without you!
*names have been changed to protect our patients' privacy.
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