AMA VICDOC Summer 2024 - Magazine - Page 11
The Water Well Project started 14 years ago,
with a kickstart for one of its projects
from AMA Victoria.
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Q3 /
Q4 /
WHAT HAS YOUR CAREER
JOURNEY BEEN LIKE?
IS THE AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM DOING
ENOUGH TO SUPPORT MIGRANT POPULATIONS?
Prior to studying postgraduate medicine,
I was a pharmacist. In this work, I was
able to see firsthand the value of primary
healthcare and the value of being able
to impart knowledge. One of the many
pharmacies where I was based afforded
me the opportunity to deliver local
community health education sessions.
So, I was exposed to this method of health
education very early on in my career and
could see the very translatable impact
it could have. Fast forward to my intern
year and I was at a metropolitan hospital
serving a lower socioeconomic population.
Many patients reminded me of my
parents, with low English language and
low health literacy levels. I was meeting
patients who could have avoided a hospital
visit if they had a greater understanding
of preventative healthcare or knew how
to access earlier intervention to avoid
complications of their medical diagnoses.
It is important to recognise that people
from migrant, refugee and asylum seekers
backgrounds all represent different groups
with different healthcare rights. Many of
these groups experience barriers to accessing
healthcare services due to language and
unfamiliarity with the Australian healthcare
system. As healthcare professionals, we could
do better in providing culturally appropriate
services. Where possible, we should support
programs which improve community health
literacy and work on improving systems
to ensure simple navigation regardless of
a person’s language or country of origin.
A simple example demonstrating this is
the outward appearance of a hospital.
Many people would be forgiven for driving
past some of our major metropolitan
hospitals and not realising they’re hospitals
because of their uniform corporate look.
Then, upon entering a hospital, signage
is in English and sometimes wards are
not intuitively named. Even when simple
English is understood, this just adds
to the complexity.
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Learn more about
not-for-prof it
organisation
The Water Well Project
VI CD O C SU M M ER 2024
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