A culturally safe First Nations Cancer Clinic has opened in Victoria, which will deliver oncology services to the region's large Aboriginal population.
Nangnak warr bagora is a new clinic at Eastern Health's Healesville Hospital, which will be able to provide free and culturally safe cancer services, with dedicated First Nations professionals - including an all-Indigenous social worker team, as well as dedicated oncologists - both male and female - trained in cultural safety and sensitivity.
To be delivered by Eastern Health and Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC), and the name chosen by the Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, the facility is an example of self-determination, with the goal to close the gap for First Nations Victorians in medical outcomes.
Cancer Services at Eastern Health director, Phil Parente said the centre would be about offering the Indigenous community trustworthy and culturally sensitive care in an environment that has traditionally been one of significant mistrust for First Nations people.
"We're going to have a whole team wrapping themselves around each patient to enable access, to enable the issues of transport [and] to overcome any issues that are due to mistrust," Dr Parente told National Indigenous Times.
He said the centre was also in the process of getting funding for an Aboriginal Cancer Care Coordinator, saying the centre had learned from WA "that improves access and participation in cancer care, which in turn, improves outcomes".
Dr Parente said the centre was purely for Aboriginal people and was designed to help placate levels of mistrust in some members of the community in the healthcare system, by offering a welcoming and supportive environment with culturally aware and sensitive staff - something that has long been called for my Indigenous groups nationwide.
The recent budget delivered $10.8 million for the Victorian Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Agreement, which the government says is boosting cultural safety in Victorian public hospitals, as well as enabling better health outcomes by allowing Indigenous people to feel safe and seek medical care when needed.
Victorian Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, said evidence showed self-determination gets the best health outcomes for Indigenous people.
"That's why we are delivering culturally safe health care to ensure people feel safe to seek the care they need," she said.
Despite improvements, First Nations people are 14 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, and 45 per cent more likely to die of the illness.
Last month, VACCHO chief executive Jill Gallagher observed Indigenous communities were no more prone to get cancer than any other Australian citizen but were not presenting and being screened at the same rate, due to a myriad of factors, including mistrust of the health system.
"Our people are dying with cancer, but non-Aboriginal communities are living longer with cancer," the Gunditjmara woman said.
Dr Parente said nangnak warr bagora will be a huge advantage to hopefully improving the cancer outcomes.
"The disparity in costs increases each year; the mortality rates are widening between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people within Victoria year on year…and that's not okay," he said.
