Mobile Van brings clinicians closer

The Boab Health Services mobile clinic travelled to Fitzroy Crossing on 27th June, providing a podiatry clinic for residents of Guwardi Ngadu Frail Aged Hostel. Despite the unseasonal weather, the mobile van travelled from Broome to Fitzroy Crossing enabling Boab Health podiatrist Amy Freeman to see clients outside the hostel, thus avoiding the need for the elderly residents to travel.

The mobile clinic is a 23ft customised caravan which includes a clinic area with podiatry couch, storage space for resources and clinical equipment, a shaded outside area for cook-ups and a sleeping area for staff. Allied Health professionals from Boab Health Services will be travelling around the Kimberley in the van, enabling access to communities where there is no clinical building or limited clinic space. As well as providing privacy for clients in an ergonomically correct workspace, the mobile clinic will provide opportunities for the provision of multi-disciplinary care,  as Boab Health’s dietitians, diabetes educators and podiatrists will often be travelling together.  The van also provides Boab staff with increased capacity to implement health promotion practices and activities into consultations as well as group sessions.

Podiatrist Amy Freeman was one of the first clinical staff to use the facility.

“The mobile clinic will allow more clients in remote areas to access foot care and other health services in a comfortable environment, and enable clinicians to work safely and effectively.” said Amy.

The clinic was funded by the Commonwealth through the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) Department of Health & Ageing. It arrived in Broome in May from manufacturers in Victoria and has taken many months to design and build.

The mobile clinic has now moved on to the East Kimberley where it will be used for health promotion activities at NAIDOC week events and the Kununurra Agricultural Show. It will then resume its travels around the Kimberley providing a clinical space and health education venue to deliver specialist health services to remote communities.