Most farmers, ringers and station hands would know someone who has been helped by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) when an ordinary workday in the outback doesn’t go to plan.
Registered nurse Jo and her husband David manage Noogilla Cattle Co, a cattle station between Mitchell and St George, and have experienced this firsthand.
They rely on the RFDS and its expertise to safely care for their workers and have had nothing but positive outcomes every time.
In 2021 they had a worker flown by the RFDS with a suspected spinal injury and in 2022 another worker was transferred for potential skin grafts.
“Being in the health system I am very aware of how quickly things can go wrong,” Jo said.
“We’re always thinking about how we can mitigate risks knowing that we could have a long time to wait for an emergency response. The distances here are relative.”
Not only are they challenged by distance and limited medical services, but their property is also at risk of being cut off from the roads during major weather events.
“We’re on an island in the Maranoa River Channel so the compound can be completely cut off by floods,” she said.
“We have to know when the river is coming up so that we can leave our cars on the other side, and we use a boat to get across.”
Due to their location, and their young daughter being susceptible to febrile convulsions, Jo registered for an RFDS Medical Chest for peace of mind.
“Most stations I have worked at have one and I’m so thankful for it,” she said.
“The RFDS are so innovative. When I’m on a RFDS telehealth call to help a staff member I can FaceTime the doctor and send them photos so they can see exactly what I am looking at and prescribe the medication we need from the chest.”
Jo’s passion for nursing and rural agriculture motivated her to deliver Remote & Isolated Site First Aid Training across Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
Through her business, Jo actively encourages people to be proactive, not reactive, when living remotely and praises the RFDS for supporting their station.
“Rural and remote communities create our basic essentials like food and fibres,” Jo said.
“The industries out here are some of the most important that the country produces which we need to foster and nurture.
“Without the RFDS receiving the donations it needs to continue, it would change the industry because if people don’t feel safe to work out here, the industry suffers.”
