Changing the Way we do business

23-Apr-2020

Staff at the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service (WAMS) has been in the frontline to help protecting the local Walgett community against COVID 19 since late January. They have been working very closely with other local agencies in the town to prevent the spread of the disease. This has not come at a cost to the local community or WAMS itself due to the closure of some chronic disease programs and dental services.

Mrs Christine Corby, CEO of WAMS, said “her staff have done a wonderful job under extremely difficult circumstances to ensure the community have access to quality health care. We have had to make a few adjustments to our daily operation that have seen staff relocated into task that are not part of their general routine”.

Staff have been doing regular welfare checks and delivery of food and medicine to our most vulnerable clients. This is an activity that WAMS does not normally provide to the community, but we have had to modify our operation to best support community in a time of need, Mrs Corby said.

It is now the beginning of the cooler months and the flu season. We are currently rolling out the 2020 flu vaccination and encouraged those who are pregnant, are 65 years above with a chronic disease or of Aboriginal decent aged 6 moth or more to have this annual prevention measure. It does not prevent COVID 19, but protective from Influenza which claimed 430 lives and 217 000 hospitalisation last year. I strongly encouraged everyone to make an appointment for your vaccine.