New Aboriginal Health College to help close the gap
27 February 2009The opening today of a new Aboriginal Health College is a significant step in helping close the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal people in New South Wales.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Paul Lynch today joined Governor Marie Bashir and Member for Maroubra Michael Daley at the opening of the college at Little Bay in Sydney.
The College - run by the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW - will train Aboriginal health staff to work throughout the State. Today's opening was followed by the graduation of 80 students trained at a temporary location in Surry Hills. Students are graduating with Management, Health, Alcohol and other Drug work and Training and Assessment. ,p> "Graduates from this college will be at the front-line of improving the health and well-being of Aboriginal people in New South Wales," Mr Lynch said.
"Aboriginal people are best-placed to identify health and social issues in their communities and deliver the right responses," he said.
"The college will pave the way for new generations of trained health care workers to make serious inroads in closing the 17-year gap in health outcomes," Mr Lynch said.
Mr Daley said the NSW Government was proud to provide $7.9 million towards the College. "The college will provide a welcome education option for Aboriginal men and women to work in health services," he said.
Mr Daley said the courses were available for Aboriginal people at entry level through to Certificate IV and Diploma qualifications with the option to go to university degrees and diplomas.
"This quality educational facility promises to deliver long-term benefits, not just locally but throughout the State," he said. Recent improvements in Aboriginal health include:
- $2.5 million over four years to screen all Aboriginal children from
- new ear, nose and throat outreach clinics at Armidale and Mt Druitt
- 200 Otitis media screening information kits distributed to health,
- 48 Aboriginal people have started health care cadetships with area
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