The COVID-19 pandemic and health authorities’ restrictions on travel highlighted an issue which needs to be addressed according to Narrabri Chamber of Commerce president Russell Stewart.
Narrabri Shire patients needing regular treatment for cancer are disadvantaged in having to travel, sometimes weekly, to Moree or Tamworth for their chemotherapy, Mr Stewart said.
“We have many cancer patients in the community, and many of them need to travel regularly for specialist treatment,” Mr Stewart said.
“They have to drive or be driven to Moree for dialysis or Tamworth for cancer treatment.
“It’s ridiculous. We have this significant number of patients who are forced to travel and that has been particularly difficult during the restriction period.
“Why should they have to travel? Why is Narrabri considered a second class centre?
“We have an excellent hospital in Narrabri with dedicated staff, but if we had the capability in Narrabri Hospital to provide those chemotherapy or dialysis treatments those many patients wouldn’t need to regularly travel out of town,” Mr Stewart said.
“The COVID-19 situation highlighted the issue that the Chamber has been arguing for some time.
“It’s why the Chamber took on raising funds for the ultrasound machine for the hospital,” Mr Stewart added. “While we were raising money for that it became evident that there were other services that weren’t available here and should be.
“The COVID-19 pandemic really highlighted this travel issue – we should not be sending sick people to other towns to access services that should be available here.
“A qualified person is needed here to administer the drugs. And we should have a dialysis machine here. It has been said ‘we can’t get a dialysis machine at Narrabri because we can’t get people to operate it.’
“My response to that is, ‘do you hear a farmer say ‘I will find someone to drive my tractor then I will go and buy a tractor?’’”
“The Chamber believes if we get the quality equipment here we will get the operators.”
Mr Stewart said several other items of equipment which the community needed had been identified.
“The Chamber is ready to help drive a community fund raising appeal. It is hugely important we have the medical equipment and services for our community here in Narrabri.”
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Would it not make more sense to have the equipment in the hospital and have one quality technician or operator travel regularly to Narrabri. Than to have multiple people have to travel outside Narrabri? I agree with the article, buy the machines and find the staff. Who knows, maybe a former resident who left to pursue a career might return home to if a position is created!
Narrabri has to market itself to its own residents as a modern town if it wants to not continually loose young and old people.
When I left town the population in 1993 the population was 7200 from memory. A quick google search has it currently at 5900 odd.
How much of this decline is due to people needing better medical care?