​Council welcomes renal patient support!

30 July 2015

MacDonnell Regional Council welcomes the joint announcement yesterday by Federal Assistant Minister for Health, Fiona Nash and the Territory Minister for Housing, Bess Price – of $10 million support for Central Australian renal patients.

The announcement that the Australian Government will provide $10 million over three years to the Northern Territory Government to develop accommodation in Tennant Creek and Alice Springs is important support for end stage renal patients needing to relocate to access treatment and their families.

Residents of MacDonnell Regional Council are also being further supported to access early intervention dialysis services on their communities with the project also set to deliver two new renal clinics in Docker River and Papunya as well as upgrades to the health clinic at Mt Liebig.

“It is important to allow people to receive treatment in their own communities where they can be better supported by their family” MacDonnell Regional Council President, Sid Anderson said.

Aboriginal people living in the remote Central Australian communities of the MacDonnell Regional Council experience end stage renal disease at a rate up to 20 times higher than other Australians.

“Renal infrastructure, including accommodation for patients and members of their family, is important to ensure patients have access to dialysis and renal support services and the Australian Government will continue working with the Northern Territory Government to meet this critical need,” Assistant Minister Nash said.

“This announcement is fantastic news for Central Australian Indigenous renal patients and their families as it will ensure increased access to housing and renal infrastructure closer to home,” Minister Price said.

“When the health problem is so common with our people it makes sense to treat them where they live” President Anderson said.

“We have listened to the needs of the people living remotely and I am proud to be supporting better services for the bush.” Minister Price said.

“It is good to see our governments supporting the great work done by Sarah Brown and the Western Desert Dialysis over many years” President Anderson said.

Download MacDonnell Regional Council media release as PDF

Download joint Australian and NT Government media release as PDF

Learn more about Western Desert Dialysis