Two Armidale health programs and one based in Glen Innes, targeting Aboriginal community health issues, received recognition at this year’s Tablelands Cluster Awards in Glen Innes.
These include tracing people with Long QT syndrome which can cause sudden heart attacks, improving immunisation rates and cutting smoking rates in pregnant women.
Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay, who presented the awards, said the programs were outstanding
“Our health staff often work behind the scenes to ensure good outcomes for patients and their fellow workers,” he said. “It’s great to see their efforts and contribution recognised through these awards.”
Long QT Syndrome is a congenital disorder which can prompt sudden heart attacks through taking anti-psychotic drugs, antibiotics and a number of other drugs. Some members of the Aboriginal community are particularly susceptible.
The Glen Innes based program has identified 25 individuals with the disorder, arranged ECGs for 18 of them and referred a further six to cardiologists for further follow-up.
With a number of Aboriginal children overdue for immunisation, the award-winning program has put measures in places to improve access to services and approp-riateness of services and is achieving excellent results.
High rates of smoking during pregnancy became the target for a collaborative program between the Armidale Aboriginal Mothers and Babies team and New England Medicare Local.
A DVD outlining the risks was developed and used to discuss the risks surrounding smoking.
The DVD includes com-munity members and staff discussing their experiences of smoking, to enable it to be used as a preventative measures in schools as well as waiting rooms, antenatal clinics and home.
