About Indigenous Health
Many Indigenous Australians experience poorer health in comparison to non-Indigenous Australians, often dying at much younger ages. Indigenous Australians are more likely than non-Indigenous Australians to have chronic health conditions including respiratory diseases, mental health problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. There is a high occurrence of medical conditions that may not occur in the non-Indigenous population, such as trachoma (a bacterial infection of the eye) and rheumatic heart disease.
Alcohol, tobacco and illicit substances are widely used by Australians. Substance abuse plays a significant role in the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians when it comes to life expectancy and health.
Services offered at Redbank Medical Centre
Services offered at Redbank Medical Centre include the following:
- Preventive health checks, including the full health check (MBS item 715) offered to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders each year.
- Chronic disease screening, management, and ongoing care.
- Care coordination for patients with complex care needs.
- Providing better access to coordinated and multidisciplinary care to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have chronic diseases, including:
- Provision of appropriate clinical care.
- Arranging services.
- Ensuring regular reviews are undertaken by the patient’s health care team.
- Antenatal care for pregnant women and their families.
- Postnatal health check.
- Early childhood screening and development services.
- Alcohol and drug services : assessment and arranging care.
- Mental health assessment and management.
