Healthcare availability in rural and remote communities is lagging behind population increase at an alarming rate.
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The Royal Flying Doctors Service’s current projections suggest that by 2028 Junee and other towns outside the urban cities will have one fifth the number of general practitioners, half the pharmacists and a third the psychologists compared to metropolitan counterparts.
“Over the course of the next decade, we’re looking at an increase in avoidable chronic illnesses, and at the same time healthcare is stagnating in small towns,” said Flying Doctors CEO Dr Martin Laverty.
While Junee is uniquely placed within driving distance to adequate healthcare, that position can leave the town overlooked when it comes to statewide funding for healthcare betterment.
The situation, Dr Laverty says, has become particularly profound in light of recent weather events.
“In one sense, Junee might not be seeing the real harshness of the drought but no-one would be unaware of the mental health risks that a bad season can bring,” said Dr Laverty.
“Even before the drought started – indeed before it was labelled – there was a case for more services and mental health literacy programs in small towns, where many are struggling to actually recognise when they are suffering from mental health problems.”
The primary focus in attempts to avoid turning the projections into a reality, will be to attract health professionals to the country
“The fastest way to change the overall health of a population is to equip towns with what they need to manage their lifestyles.
“But mostly, what we know is that people who grew up in the country or did some of their training out there really love it and are more likely to stay there,” said Dr Laverty.
“We need to prevent a dire future by having enough country healthcare professionals in the pipeline now to deal with the increased demand as it arrives.”