Extra
funds for home haemophilia treatment
Bush tucker on a platter
Drug
ads target teens|
August 2001 - Department of Human Services, Victoria, Australia |
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General News Aboriginal artistes performing song and dance entertained Department of Human Services staff during the now traditional NAIDOC Week celebration. Hospitals, kindergartens, community health services, local governments and the ambulance service will share in a $10 million fund to encourage innovation and improved productivity in Victorian health and welfare agencies. Department of Human Services Secretary Patricia Faulkner has announced the appointment of two new Regional Directors. Acute Health $458 million boost for hospital budgets Public hospitals would open more beds, treat more patients and employ more nurses after receiving an average 16 per cent budget increase this financial year, says Health Minister John Thwaites. Extra funds for home treatment Victorians with haemophilia will have cost-free access to equipment they use for home-based treatment following a Government $135,000 funding boost, says Health Minister John Thwaites Victoria’s first cleaning standards audit of public hospitals has resulted in all passing random audits with scores between 84 and 98 per cent, says Health Minister John Thwaites. New helicopter to save time and lives Bendigo will be the home base to one of the most advanced aero-medical helicopters in the world, reducing travel times for seriously ill patients by 70 per cent, says Health Minister John Thwaites. Sunshine Hospital redevelopment open Health services in Melbourne’s outer western region have received a major boost with the opening of Sunshine Hospital’s $44 million adult acute redevelopment. Public Health Feeding families a healthy slice of life A new strategy to combat the growing problem of child obesity would also help prevent serious illnesses later in life such as cancer, says Health Minister John Thwaites. Extra to fight killer diseases Two of Victoria’s top public health laboratories that trace Legionnaires’ and other killer diseases have received a $1 million funding boost. Needles free to diabetes sufferers Nearly 37,000 diabetic Victorians can now obtain cost-free the needles required for their treatment. Awards recognise harm reduction achievements HIV field worker Melissa Virtue has received the Individual Excellence Award during the inaugural ANEX Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) Awards for Best Practice presentation. Crackdown on teen smokes sales More than 100 retailers have been caught selling cigarettes to children by the Government’s tobacco ‘flying squads’, Health Minister John Thwaites has revealed. The collapse of teenagers’ lives through heroin, ecstacy and cannabis are highlighted in three realistic TV commercials. Scratching for answers in lice School nurses, local government environmental health officers, childcare workers, teachers, general practitioners and community health, pharmacy and kindergarten staff took part in a Public Health Forum in Geelong on head lice. Mental Health Mum Karen Taylor suffered more than her share of personal loss in the last few years—her mother, an unborn child, a sister, an aunt as well as a friend and brother-in-law.
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DisAbility Services Legal service gets new city premises The new home of the Disability Discrimination Legal Service has been officially opened in the city. Works worth more than words can say The warmth, colour and originality of artists from Kew Residential Services (KRS) were a highlight of the Bright Reactions art exhibition at Box Hill Community Arts Centre. Kew residents sample sights and sounds Two Kew Residential Services’ initiatives with a mix of energy, imagination and teamwork are having a huge impact on the quality of life of residents. Guide to easy eats in the east A social group of young people with disabilities has compiled a guide to wheelchair-accessible and family-friendly dining venues in Melbourne eastern suburbs. Housing An innovative 18-month project in the Department of Human Services’ Northern Region has improved access for public housing tenants to health services and health promotion programs. The northern Victorian town of Echuca is experiencing a mini housing boom, thanks to the growth in numbers of Group Self Build Homes. Fresh food from garden to kitchen One of Australia’s leading chefs, Stephanie Alexander, has given young people from the Collingwood Housing Estate valuable tips on how to become culinary experts as part of a joint initiative between the local school and the Office of Housing. A community initiative has seen TAFE students and tradespeople band together to build a new house for homeless young people in Geelong. Outdoor art adds to garden colour The grounds of many Melbourne public housing high-rise estates are rapidly becoming landmarks for outdoor arts projects and community garden projects. Community Care New course is a regional first In a first for regional Victoria, La Trobe University Bendigo and the City of Greater Bendigo has announced a new postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing (Child Family and Community) course. Police program helps keep teens on track Eastern suburbs police are helping young people put a halt to behaviour that could lead to homelessness, alcoholism, drug abuse and crime Community Health Residents will have access to new physiotherapy, podiatry and speech therapy services near their homes as part of a $1.1 million expansion of community health services in Ashburton, Ashwood and Chadstone. People with drug and/or alcohol dependency will benefit from a new North Yarra Community Health (NYCH) dental initiative. Residents of the Barwon region who are battling the potentially fatal diseases of anorexia and bulimia will have access to high-quality, local treatment under a new, Geelong-based program, says Health Minister John Thwaites. Rural Health Extra travel funds for rural patients The Government will spend an extra $800,000 a year on travel and accommodation subsidies for rural patients who have to travel long distances to see medical or dental specialists, says Health Minister John Thwaites. World to gather on rural health Rural doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health practitioners and consumers are among those invited to submit papers for the 5th World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) Conference on Rural Health. A Government funding injection of $375,000 will help train 150 more rural GPs and 150 more nurses in critical emergency procedures over the next two years, says Health Minister John Thwaites. Juvenile Justice Role models lead NAIDOC Week event The importance of positive role models, mentors and support systems in keeping young Aboriginal people out of the justice system was a key message at two NAIDOC Week celebrations. |
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