黑料吃瓜群网

For Dr Allison Hempenstall, Thursday Island is a gateway to opportunity.

General Practice (GP) registrar Dr Allison Hempenstall is relishing the challenge of managing the complex health needs of Torres Strait Islander communities, while pursuing research into tropical diseases.

鈥淲e know that health outcomes for Indigenous people in the Torres Strait are poorer than their non-Indigenous counterparts,鈥� said Dr Hempenstall, who is in enrolled in James Cook University鈥檚 (JCU) GP training program.

鈥淗ere, we also care for patients from Papua New Guinea (PNG). There is no other community in Australia that borders another country, let alone a developing country.鈥�

Dr Hempenstall divides her time between the Thursday Island 黑料吃瓜群网 and the primary healthcare centre on the island.

When on call, she cares for patients in the hospital ward and emergency department, and also responds to requests for medical assistance from outer islands across the Torres Strait.

鈥淲e are really lucky that we live in an age where telehealth has come so far,鈥� she observed.

鈥淚 can be sitting in an office on Thursday Island, making plans for a patient via videoconference with nursing staff and health workers at a primary health centre on another island. If the patient is unwell enough to require transfer to Thursday Island 黑料吃瓜群网, we organise a retrieval via helicopter or boat.鈥�

Most of Dr Hempenstall鈥檚 work revolves around chronic disease management.

鈥淭he diabetes rate here far exceeds that of mainland Australia. Heart disease and chronic kidney disease are also prevalent,鈥� she said.

鈥淏ut we also see many different tropical infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, melioidosis and chronic hepatitis B.鈥�

She is keen to expand her knowledge and understanding of these diseases through research in her community.

鈥淗istorically, this region hasn鈥檛 had much locally driven research; we are hoping to establish sustainable local research, relevant to the community here,鈥� she said.

Dr Hempenstall currently liaises with two infectious disease consultants in Cairns, who are assisting with her research.

Next year, she plans to embark on a research project into the management of cellulitis, a bacterial infection which develops beneath the surface of the skin and can spread rapidly through the blood.

鈥淎necdotally, cellulitis is more prevalent in Torres Strait Islanders because of the tropical climate and prevalence of co-morbidities such as diabetes,鈥� she said.

Dr Hempenstall will investigate whether individuals with cellulitis can be managed in their community with intravenous antibiotics, avoiding hospital admission.

鈥淗opefully, our research will save retrieval and hospital-associated health costs and improve patient satisfaction with our health service,鈥� she said.

In the meantime, Dr Hempenstall is pursuing another project close to her heart 鈥� encouraging Thursday Island school students to consider a career in health care. The doctor is liaising with local school teachers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and allied health staff to organise a health careers promotional event.

鈥淲e want to promote health careers by increasing the interest of students in science and the human body,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e hope to include fun, interactive activities such as dissecting a pig鈥檚 heart to learn about anatomy, using an ultrasound to explore their own bodies and taking photos of their teeth to learn about dental hygiene.

鈥淲e really want to inspire the next generation to consider nursing, allied health or medical careers.鈥�

Dr Hempenstall is keen to give as much as possible to the residents of Thursday Island.

鈥淚 am so privileged to be immersed in such a unique culture, providing care to a warm and welcoming community.鈥�

Image caption: Dr Hempenstall divides her time between the Thursday Island 黑料吃瓜群网 and the primary healthcare centre on the island. Image courtesy of JCU.