The healthcare system in the Northern Territory (NT) is currently at an emergency threshold, especially within remote, majority First Nations communities. Recent reports reveal that many health facilities have had to reduce core services due to staffing shortages and inadequate infrastructure. Funding has been allocated to improve health infrastructure, but the current state of facilities and services raises concerns about their effectiveness in meeting community needs.
Rebecca White, the NT Minister for Health, said money is already allocated. This injection of cash will go a long way toward upgrading First Nations health infrastructure across the region. This NT infrastructure investment represents only about 23 percent of the First Nations health infrastructure funding invested to date. This funding is a mixture of all three rounds,” she said. The demonstrative effect this funding has will, at the end of the day, be unclear as health services further face devastating deficits.
Staffing Shortages and Service Reductions
A recent survey of healthcare workers and students found shocking numbers when it came to staffing shortages inside of NT’s healthcare facilities. In fact, nearly 71% of these facilities were forced to cut back on their essential services within the last year. This reduction was largely due to a lack of staffing capacity. In truth, one out of every two surveyed services reported more than 10 unfilled positions.
Additionally, 1 in 3 staff said they worked daily overtime to compensate for a growing healthcare workforce shortage. Rob McPhee, chairperson of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT), called for immediate and comprehensive action. “We wouldn’t accept these conditions anywhere else, and we shouldn’t accept them here in the territory,” he asserted, underscoring the disparity faced by Indigenous communities in accessing adequate healthcare.
Logistical challenges related to the remote areas add to the burdens. Unsealed roads and communication outages make serving communities extremely difficult. Melissa Hinson, chief executive of Urapuntja Health Service, raised a key issue to the fore. We run a program over 16 homelands on unsealed roads, so every visit has a remote cost premium for everyone involved, from clinicians and contractors.
Infrastructure Issues and Health Risks
Most health facilities in remote NT communities have infrastructure which is dilapidated and unsafe. This state of affairs is woefully inadequate for the residents. Sources tell us that over a dozen health facilities aren’t able to provide quality care as a result of the surrounding environment. While the Yirrkala clinic, run by Miwatj Health, provides basic care to over 900 local residents, it is in desperate need of renovations. In return, the clinic has been fighting against extensive issues with crumbling walls and ceilings. These problems have led to three cases of possible asbestos exposure over the last two years.
Steve Rosingh, CEO of Miwatj Health, said if they sound this bad, they shouldn’t be used at all. He complained that many of them are dangerous. The urgent need for infrastructure improvements is echoed across National Park, National Battlefield, and other historic facilities. Eleven of the fourteen surveyed health services reported having to cut services as a result of capacity pressures.
To counter these challenges, some health services have begun leasing modified shipping containers. This unique approach does a lot to address the lack of market ready workspace in many rural areas. This temporary fix underscores the fundamental need for further permanent, sustainable, and long-term solutions.
The Call for Investment and Support
Our healthcare system is already strained with a severe staffing and infrastructure crisis. In turn, sector leaders call on local and state governments to step up their own investment and support. As McPhee highlights, without strong foundations, the long-closed gap in infant and maternal health will continue to deepen. You can’t close the gap without the strong foundations,” he continued.
The need for urgent action is pressing. It means we need to see governments urgently and then long-term step in to improve on this,” said McPhee. White also reiterated the government’s commitment to collaborating with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) to ensure that funded infrastructure projects address local needs effectively.
The road ahead will take a more complex strategy that makes thoughtful investment in all of our human capital while expanding our health care establishments. Today, stakeholders are hard at work trying to reverse dismal health trends in these far-flung communities. We need to hear their voices and respond in strong ways to ensure equity in access to quality healthcare.
