In the Gove Peninsula and Barra Ward, our Healthy Kidneys Program manages stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease, monitoring of stages 1 and 2 CKD, kidney health education and promotion, care co-ordination and support for patients in end stage renal disease and preparing for renal replacement therapy.
Miwatj Health, in partnership with Purple House, provides a nurse assisted respite dialysis service for up to 4 patients at a time in each community. Each site has 2 dialysis machines and 1 Nurse. Regular patient group meetings are held in Darwin and community to plan service and to ensure community needs are being met.
At Miwatj Health, this mix of services, addresses some of the main causes of illnesses affecting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities. Successfully delivering primary health care in remote parts of the NT requires a flexible approach, recognising the decentralised nature of Aboriginal populations.
In addition to our Miwatj clinical services, acute care and longer-term preventive care, our Aboriginal health service focuses on education and primary prevention programs to tackle the most important risk factors impacting Aboriginal health in this region.
Today, half of our Miwatj workforce are Yolŋu, however, we also depend on health professionals from elsewhere who work together with our Yolŋu staff, and the wider community.
