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‘On The Road’ in the Pilbara |
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Written by Alan Richardson
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 Nurse Helen Collinson in Marble Bar. “It was early in the morning and a Big Red male kangaroo came pelting down the dry creek bed towards me. He stopped and reared up onto his hind legs.”
‘RFDS on the road’ nurse Helen Collinson adds, “But then I saw that he was wearing a collar. I turned and walked back to our campsite; he followed me and we had breakfast together.”
This is just one of the stories from Helen Collinson’s employment with the ‘RFDS on the road’ Primary Health Care Program, a partnership between the Royal Flying Doctor Service and BHP Billiton.
Helen, who’s been a health promotion nurse with the Program in the Pilbara for two years, finishes in the role tomorrow. She says she’s been just about everywhere in the region, training people in first aid, teaching them how to use their RFDS medical chests correctly, and promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
“If I look at my map it has coloured dots on it all over the Pilbara,” Helen says. “I’ve been to remote stations, community schools, mine sites, roadhouses, tourist locations and small towns.
“This year we did three Pit Stop programs focusing on men’s health check ups.
Last year there was the five week Skin Cancer screening circuit to 14 Pilbara communities and I’ve been talking to children all over the region about healthy choices including wearing bike helmets and seatbelts.
I’ve also provided one-on-one health assessments for remote people.”
Staff with the ‘RFDS on the road’ Program, supported in the Pilbara by principal partner, BHP Billiton Iron Ore, work a nine/five roster, usually spending seven consecutive days travelling to remote locations in a four-wheel-drive truck.
Helen is accompanied by a project officer, and they are often found camping under the stars and cooking over a small gas stove.
“It’s good to be out there and to meet the local people,” Helen says.
“On our trips we get to see a lot of places the general public don’t get to. There are gorges and waterholes and nice little camping spots a lot of people don’t know about.
“I’d like to thank BHP Billiton Iron Ore for sponsoring the Program and for their many in-kind donations to support our work.
This year Iron Ore supplied banners and equipment for our popular Pit Stop programs and that really helped to attract people to come in for a health check-up.” |
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