Support, but clock still ticks

Support, but clock still ticks

Miriam Raphael

11Nov09

SARAH Brown has a bit of a blemish on her chin.

She calls it her pimple for Patrick, the result of working 16 hour days in her bid to overturn the ban on interstate patients receiving dialysis in Alice Springs.

Since the Centralian Advocate published A border too far on October 27 about the case of Kiwirrkurra artist Patrick Tjungurrayi, who says he would rather die on country than move to Perth for treatment, there has been an outpouring of support.

Ms Brown is manager of the Purple House, which is run by the Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku, an organisation that provides support to Aboriginal people needing dialysis.

She said: "We've been overwhelmed by the response from people nationally, everyone from CEOs of organisations to grandmas in Melbourne who have been in contact, trying to get the word out there to make sure we're heard by politicians and decision makers."

The interstate ban came about earlier this year as a result of the lack of available resources to meet the ever-increasing demand for dialysis services in Central Australia.

It has now gained traction in the press and in political spheres, with the Australian Greens declaring the policy a threat to patients' lives.

The Federal Government has not stepped in, declaring it an issue for states and territory to sort out among themselves.

Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon told a press conference in Alice Springs on Friday:

"Clearly the longer-term issues need to be addressed, but this will happen only when there's a conversation that must occur between NT, SA and WA to discuss the whole issue of renal dialysis across the central desert.

"The Commonwealth may have a role, but the primary responsibility for renal dialysis rests with the state governments and that's where it is."

The Commonwealth has, however, made a transportable dialysis facility available to help ease the demand for dialysis services in Alice Springs.

The facility, which is currently in storage, has two dialysis chairs and can treat about eight patients each week.

It will be relocated to Flynn Drive Renal Dialysis Unit in the next month.According to Vicki Taylor, general manager of the Alice Springs Hospital, this does not mean the ban will be lifted.

She said: "Our net is normally 10 to 15 patients additionally a year, so we expect that we will still see some growth between now and when the renal dialysis unit in Gap Road is up and running.

"It gives us some capacity for growth within the Northern Territory, but not enough for us to review our policy at this stage."

Ms Taylor said that once the new facility was opened in June next year the interstate ban would once again be reviewed.

Health groups such as the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory have been pushing hard for Alice Springs Hospital to start offering 'nocturnal' dialysis as a short-term solution to the lack of available space.

This would involve patients sleeping overnight in the renal unit while attached to dialysis machines.

Ms Taylor has confirmed nocturnal dialysis trials will begin in February.

The art world is also behind the issue.

A work by Mr Tjungurrayi will be auctioned as part of a private collection on November 24 in Melbourne and Sotheby's Australia has said they will donate the buyer's premium for the sale to Purple House to help fund patients to learn self-care, so they can dialyse out bush.

It's believed the picture will be sold for up to $20,000.

Meanwhile, in the country's most remote Aboriginal community, Patrick Tjungurrayi, family member, friend to many, senior law man and one of our great painters, is getting sicker by the day.

As the bureaucratic wrangling continues, another statistic is falling through the service gap.

http://www.centralianadvocate.com.au/article/2009/11/11/5181_news.html