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Better health facilities for indigenous communities

Communities in Central Australia will receive more than $6 million to improve health care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson has announced.

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20 June 2003

Better health facilities for indigenous communities

Communities in Central Australia will receive more than $6 million to improve health care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson announced today.

These funds are being provided under the Primary Health Care Access Program (PHCAP) for the construction of additional health staff housing in remote Central Australia and for health clinic upgrades.

The PHCAP planning process identified the need for additional health care staff in the remote Central Australian communities. Due to the location of these communities it is essential that appropriate housing is provided," Senator Patterson said

"In order to attract and retain new staff it is necessary to construct new housing, this in turn will allow services to expand.

"The upgrade to clinics in Central Australia will allow for increased patient services and ensure cultural appropriateness, such as providing for separate entrances for men and women.

"It will also help strengthen the region's capacity to provide the best possible health care for Indigenous communities who are continuing to experience a range of chronic health problems," Senator Patterson said.

The PHCAP initiative involves working in partnership with the State and Territory Governments, the community controlled health sector, ATSIC and the local community to improve access to primary health care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"These projects highlight the high level of collaboration with our partners in the Northern Territory; the Northern Territory Government, AMSANT and ATSIC, in improving these health services.

"For example, funding for the clinic upgrades will be provided to the Northern Territory Government who will carry out the projects. These will be located in the Marlinja, Ti Tree, Yuelamu, Tara, Atitjere, Bonya, Alpurrurulum and Haast's Bluff communities of Central Australia", Senator Patterson said.

The additional staff accommodation will be in the Yuendumu, Elliott, Engawala, Ti tree, Atitjere, Mt Liebig, Papunya, Haast's Bluff and Kintore communities.

"I recently opened the impressive new community health centre in Kintore. Once this housing is complete the centre will be able to recruit more staff and provide a wider variety of medical services to the community.

"As key partners in the PHCAP process, I am very pleased that the Northern Territory Government has also agreed to auspice the funds for these houses on behalf of the communities involved and I am delighted that the PHCAP initiative has enabled this way of working together to increase primary health care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Central Australia," Senator Patterson said.

Media inquiries: Randal Markey, Media Adviser, Senator Patterson's office, 02 6277 7220.