In the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, we want to say thank you to the wonderful community of health professionals across the North Coast, for your resilience and commitment to supporting our communities during this challenging time.
Thanks to your efforts, we were able to respond swiftly and effectively, ensuring that essential health care remained accessible when it was needed most. Together, we achieved:
- A coordinated emergency response, where we worked closely with NSW Health, Local Health Districts, government agencies, and community organisations to provide seamless health care support.
- 76 changes to local service operations on Healthdirect’s National Health Services Directory, ensuring our community knew which of their health providers were open or if their operations had changed.
- Real-time clinical guidance to GPs through the HealthPathways disaster management pathway.
- Deploying 18 local GPs into evacuation centers, including Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay, Evans Head, Mullumbimby, Kyogle, Ocean Shores and Kingscliff, ensuring immediate care for evacuees.
- Making sure primary mental health supports were available at the Recovery Assistance locations in Coffs Harbour, Ballina, Lismore and Tweed Heads.
Dr David Glendinning, Dr Courtney-Anne Blackhall, Dr Chris Bentley and Monika Wheeler at the evacuation centre at SCU Lismore.
It was fantastic to see practices like Lismore GP Super Clinic, who run the Lismore Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, turning to innovative solutions to keep their doors open. They saw 149 patients when the rest of the town had no power:
Healthy North Coast CEO Monika Wheeler with Debbie Farrell, 2IC at Lismore Urgent Care Clinic.
Your commitment has made a real difference, reinforcing the vital role of primary health care in disaster response. Thank you for your dedication to the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Healthy North Coast is collating reflections from this disaster management experience in collaboration with the Local Health Districts, and will use learnings to inform planning and preparation for future events.
