Juxtaposed with the hustle and bustle of city life, Kangaroo Island is most certainly an appealing place to live and work. Undoubtedly, its remoteness brings a set of logistical challenges for commuting health workers and islanders requiring specialist medical care on the mainland.
Recognising the need for increased workforce to meet community health demands on the island, Australian charity Angel Flight are trialling an air transport program to and from the island.
The program aims to provide timely and direct transport as an enabler to increase healthcare services on the Island where locums could otherwise spend half a day in transit.
Travel from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island for busy health professionals, some of whom have travelled from interstate, is significantly reduced to just 30 minutes via the free Angel Flight service.
The six-month trial program took its first flight on Friday 7th June transporting GP Registrar, Dr Erin O’Halloran to Kingscote from Adelaide.
Dr O’Halloran remarks; “I am very happy to enthusiastically support this program.
“It would make a massive difference to my quality of life not having to drive and transport myself five hours each way every other week”
Evidence is required to prove that improving access of medical workforce to rural areas also increases the number of services provided and reduces cost of service delivery. The trial aims to capture this data to form the basis of a government grant application for future support.
Rural Generalist, Dr Angela Travis is also supportive of the program. “The opportunity to fly with Angel Flight directly from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island is welcomed” she says.
“The time saved means we can see more patients and potentially visit the Island more often.
“I believe the flights will be attractive to other health professionals when they consider working on Kangaroo Island, as the alternative travel from Adelaide can be tiring and lengthy. This option makes the trip simple and achievable when commercial options are not available.”
Angel Flight pilots do not carry aeromedical staff or medical equipment so do not act as an alternative to the Royal Flying Doctor Service or Air Ambulance in that capacity. They are, however, pivotal to the accessibility of medical treatment for many people throughout rural Australia and have helped 100,000 rural families since the charity’s inception in 2003.
Despite this, Angel Flight receives no government funding and relies on the generosity of individuals, clubs and service clubs, large and small companies and bequests, to continue to carry out our important service, including the Kangaroo Island trial.
If you would like to donate to Angel Flight head to this page.
To request more information about the program, please contact Cindy Dennis- Jeanie Global cindy@jeanie.global +61 428815744
