| Medical practitioner services are provided in Central Australia in various ways. Territory Health Services (THS) provide visiting District Medical Officers to remote communities, and a number of GPs are located in clinics operated and funded by THS. Members of the Central Australian Division of General Practice (CADGP) represent a diverse range of practices including four town practices in Alice Springs, one in Tennant Creek.
As well as one GP as a private practitioner in a Territory Health Services clinic, two GPs in the Yulara Royal Flying Doctor Service, and GPs in the three nursing homes and in family planning.
Two private contractors work with the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap (JDFPG) and the Alice Springs Prison. A large number of the members are employed in Aboriginal medical services.
There is a substantial Aboriginal population in the region. In Alice Springs, almost 20 per cent of the local population are Aboriginal and in remote communities the Aboriginal population constitutes 66 per cent of the population. The region also has a high tourist population (10,692 at the 1996 census, one-fifth being international tourists).
The CADGP has GP representation on a number of sub-committees covering areas including population health, after-hours care, Information management/information technology, immunisation and continuing medical education. Other GPs are advisers on CNE and palliative care.
CADGP's Mission is to improve the health status and well-being of people in Central Australia through better primary health care services. Stakeholders in CADGP include Territory Health Services, Aboriginal Medical Services, the community of Central Australia, Council of Remote Area Nurses Association, Central Australian and Barkly Aboriginal Health Workers Association, pharmacists, and allied health professionals. |
