Arabic version: خدمة الطبيب الطائر الملكية ونغارنال تطلقان شراكة للرعاية في جزيرة مورنينغتون

According to ABC News, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Ngarnal Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service have formed an Australian-first partnership to deliver primary healthcare on Mornington Island five days a week.

Ngarnal took over primary healthcare delivery on the Gulf of Carpentaria island last month, with the RFDS providing clinical care. The walk-in Ngarnal Health Clinic opened in July and is intended to offer more consistent care in a community of about 1,200 people.

Mornington Island Council data shows nearly 40 per cent of residents live with one or more chronic diseases. More than 80 per cent of the population is Indigenous, while the community’s death rate is more than 40 per cent higher than the rest of Queensland.

Ngarnal chair Susan Sewter said the community needed control of its health care after previous services relied on locums and offered limited support. The new arrangement is designed to provide permanent, long-term staff and help residents build relationships with medical teams.

Under the two-year model, RFDS staff will work rotating five-day rosters, ensuring one doctor, two nurses and an Aboriginal health practitioner are on the island each week. RFDS Primary Healthcare Medical Lead Yvonne Doveren said the partnership could offer a model for other Queensland areas, while researcher Stephen Harfield said community-controlled care can improve outcomes in remote Aboriginal communities.