Chris Thomas, a 68-year-old homemaker in the Australian bush, faces an impossible choice. It’s a decision that might change the trajectory of his life forever. Having spent nearly seven decades living in the rural landscapes of South Australia, Thomas finds himself in a precarious situation regarding his medical care. After four years of receiving regular dialysis treatment in Port Pirie, he has been informed that he can no longer access this care, forcing him to consider relocating to the city for treatment he desperately needs.
Thomas has spent his life adapting to dryland cropping and pastoralism in the mid-north and north-east areas of South Australia. He is motivated every day by his passion for agriculture. He worked at Roxby Downs, which has brought billions into the state economy. His health has declined as a result of multi-systemic medical complications making him in need of more than dialysis alone. The latest medical assessment determined that Thomas is not yet medically prepared for transfer from the hospital. Sadly, he can’t be sent back to Port Pirie right now either.
Medical Challenges and Community Ties
Thomas has been receiving life-sustaining dialysis treatment for the past four years at the Port Pirie Dialysis Unit, essential for his survival. His family has now discovered that this option is no longer available to him. This news brings with it anxieties over whether he can balance the task of handling his health while remaining in his beloved bush setting. The family feels most strongly about how moving would affect Thomas’s mental and emotional health.
An urgent plea to SA Health from Alex Thomas’s daughter saw immediate action take place. She has been looking for alternatives that would allow her father to continue living in the bush, and still access medical care, when needed. Her advocacy centers on honoring her father’s desires.
“I want them to honour his desire to go home,” – Alex Thomas
Alex champions the need for equitable healthcare access for Australians living in rural areas. To her, Thomas should be given the same quality of care as any other patient in bustling urban centers.
“I want them to cease discriminating against him because he lives in a regional area,” – Alex Thomas
Government Response and Future Options
SA Health Minister Chris Picton has been open about the complicated nature of Thomas’s case. His office then reached out to Thomas’s family. They have a senior medical review pending, urge to consider senior options.
“At this stage, Mr Thomas requires hospital medical care that extends beyond dialysis treatment,” – SA Health
Picton is aware that SA Health provides outstation dialysis services statewide in South Australia. There are some medical conditions that can only be treated in a tertiary hospital and not at every major university hospital.
“Ultimately, in a state like South Australia, we can’t provide the quaternary level of hospital care and the sub-speciality level of hospital care in each locality of everywhere across regional South Australia,” – Chris Picton
This acknowledgment raises critical questions regarding how healthcare resources should be distributed throughout the state. We hope to see better, more equitable treatment for residents particularly in rural areas.
A Plea for Recognition and Care
Alex Thomas is determined to continue advocating for her father. She tells him how relocating him to the city would uproot him from everything he has ever known, from his people to his way of life.
“If he moves to Adelaide he is going to be grossly isolated from everything he has ever known,” – Alex Thomas
She is passionate about ensuring that regional communities are made to feel appreciated and served by their healthcare system.
“I want them to send a message to regional communities at large to say that you matter,” – Alex Thomas
That hope now rests on the upcoming medical review of Chris Thomas’ case. With more solutions coming into view, hopefully he’ll be able to remain in his adopted home that he cherishes so much while receiving the healthcare services he needs.
