Contemporary Indigenous Health: Closing the Gap Policy and Health

This essay analyzes the Closing the Gap (CTG) policy, a government strategy addressing health inequalities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in Australia. It begins with an overview of the CTG policy, focusing on its targets and objectives, particularly in relation to life expect...Read More

Running head: HEALTHCARE
ABORIGINAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1ABORIGINAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Accessible and affordable health care is one of the most important needs of the people.
The existing healthcare system was unable to meet the actual need of the indigenous people
giving rise to a growing gap in the healthcare system. The community requires an inclusive
environment that supports and understands the relevant need of the community without any
racial discrimination (Hole et al 2015). To combat the current health gap that has been created
over the years the government has introduced the Close the Gap campaign to ensure that the
aboriginal and Torres Straight Island people receive the best kind of treatment. The campaign
joins the non-indigenous health institutions, human rights organisation and NGOs to work
together in helping to provide the best health care of the vulnerable group.
Quality healthcare should be available at home and at the ease of the patients providing
them the help and support they need. Diabetes one of the major lifestyle issues that is plaguing
the society. The design of the healthcare is one of the major features of the health service
delivery system. One of the serious lack in the current mainstream, healthcare service is the
design has no place for the indigenous population and their specific needs. Therefore,
measureable target has designed in 2007 by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to
understand and track the health development in the health and well-being of aboriginal people
(healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au 2019). The Close the Gap Statement of Intent was signed in the year
2008 to help close the health gap between the mainstream Australian and the indigenous people.
The campaign aims to practice evidence based practice to achieve health equality that is able to
meet the current issues of an unequal health services that is pertaining to the indigenous health
and wellbeing (healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au 2019). Closing the Gap is a government strategy that
aims to bridge the inequality that is between the mainland Australian demographic and the
indigenous people by the year 2030 (Altman 2018). The campaign also encourages complete

2ABORIGINAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
participation of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people in the management, decision making
and other aspects. So that they can address and voice the needs and discrepancies persisting in
their community (healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au 2019). The strategy targets to increase the life
expectancy among the indigenous people, reduce mortality rate of the indigenous babies and
provide overall health care and wellbeing of the whole community (healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au
2019). The following strategy includes the involvement of the Australian Indigenous Doctor’s
Association. The Indigenous Dentists Association of Australia, participation of the aboriginal
midwives and nurses (CATSINaM), National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health
Organisation (NACCHO) and the participation of the Australian government representative
(Altman 2018). The following case in discussion involves a 57 year old retired teacher by the
Judy. She is an indigenous person suffering from type 2 diabetes and needs constant dressing for
the ulcer wound on her leg, this following issue is an important and relevant issue in the health of
the Indigenous people. The following issue falls under the strategy of increasing the life
expectancy and also the Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) to provide basic health care service
for the indigenous people. Hence Judy is eligible for receiving the service.
There are social determinant that influence the indigenous health considerably and health
issues are connected to the health of the person. Human rights is one of the basic needs of the
person that allows them to enjoy health benefits and other things just like the rest of the country.
The three social determinants that influence the indigenous health acre especially the Type 2
diabetes type of health care. The government strategy is meant to provide check-up, health care,
medicines that come with disease (healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au 2019). The policies need to more in
accordance with the relevant needs of certain diseases that needs a broader context. Diabetes is
one of them, diabetes is physiological issue that also has serious social challenges, which the

3ABORIGINAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
health care is unable to meet (Pearson et al 2016). In this case it is yet unable to meet the
psychosocial needs of the patient (Ashworth 2018). First social determinant factor is the support
of the family, the patient is of advanced age and is unable to commute owing to the nature of her
problem which requires a constant family support or assistance which clearly lacks in Judy’s
case. The indigenous population often have broken families owing to the Stolen Generation
effect where children often feel difficult in connecting with their own family as a result of which
most of the older generation live mostly a solitary life (McGough et al 2018). This social factor
is exceptionally important in this regard as Type 2 diabetes that needs attention and care and the
family members can help to improve and provide the psychosocial support that is much needed
in this case. Judy lives alone and her children do not reside with her but they help out from time
to time. This makes the patient vulnerable who is depended entirely on the health care personnel
for her psychosocial needs (Roh et al 2016). Zheng et al (2018) states that the second reason is
the lack of physical activity and lifestyle change among the aboriginals and other indigenous
people. Owing to the globalisation a lot of healthy indigenous practices are being replaced
rapidly and the adaptation of unhealthy lifestyle is on the rise.Statistics show that about 27.4% of
indigenous people suffering from diabetes type 2 has foot ulcers (Burrow and Ride 2016).
Previously, the community lifestyle of the indigenous community was very active and most
depended on healthy natural sources of food without the processing. This ensured less health
issues among the indigenous people (Srour 2019). Statistics show a rise in various health issues
in the modern day indigenous people who suffer most from diabetes, heart issues, high blood
pressure, obesity and other (Health.NSW.gov.au 2019). The patient in discussion is Judy who
suffers from the leg ulcer which does not allow her to move further adding to the physical issue
that is persistent within the community (Zhao et al 2019). Diabetic patients need physical

4ABORIGINAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
exercise and some regular healthy practice which helps with the disease, however, the patient
Judy is of advanced age and owing to the leg ulcer is unable to indulge in simple physical
exercise that inhibits her movement entirely. The static state and the lack of company that can be
understood form the case study gives rise to mental health issue such as depression, anxiety and
may lead to suicidal tendencies (Elamoshy et al 2018). McDermott et al (2017) states that the
socio-economic condition is one of the most important social issue that indigenous people have
to suffer from owing to the fact that medicine and other health cost associated with diabetes is
very expensive it makes them vulnerable to access such medicines. Even though the health care
professional is in charge of providing health care support and medicine to the patient. The
tension of the economic pressure that the disease may incur can have very deep effect on the
patient’s wellbeing (Roh et al 2016). A study reveals the chronic wound cost in Australia costs
the Australian government about US $2.85 billion dollars that can be sued in bettering the system
using evidence based practice (Segal et al 2016).
Judy was assigned an Aboriginal Liaison Officer (ALO) by the local Aboriginal Medical
Service (AMS) for the community nurse to attend to her leg wound. The role of the Aboriginal
Liason Officer is to provide social, emotional and cultural support to the aboriginal and
indigenous patients and their families (Health.NSW.gov.au 2019). The ALO assists the patient to
ease their worry about the stress and fear that they may face regarding the disease. They are the
link between the AMS, nurses or other health professional and enabled the patient to understand
the various factors related to their condition and help to guide them in a cultural positive manner
(Health.NSW.gov.au 2019). In this case the ALO arranged the first visit with community nurses
and the patient keeping in mind to ensure the presence of the family member so that Judy felt
comfortable with the nurse (Hunt et al 2015). Judy was assigned to the Aboriginal Medical

5ABORIGINAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Service professional who is in charge of providing health care for the patients. An AMS officer
is in charge of providing culturally competent, health care service to all the indigenous groups.
One of the problems that may have led to the reference of the patient Judy to the other health
professional is the lack of resources in terms of skilled manpower or resources that maybe used
in the treatment of the leg ulcers. Zhao et al (2019) states that diabetes type 2 patients often have
leg ulcers, however the complication of the treatment procedure can be a bit daunting for many
health professionals who are not that skilled. Therefore, sometimes some of the health care
professional lacking in the expertise and resources refer to the community nurses who are better
equipped to handle the issue (Campbell et al 2017). Studies show there is a lack of evidence
based practice in the wound treatment of the leg ulcers in diabetes care and treatment which is
not cost effective for the government nor is good in the patient care service who need to go
through the issue of constant referrals which becomes a hassle for the patient care service (Paul
et al 2017) They work together to join services of other ngos, community health care of the
other community or mainstream health service to ensure proper delivery of health services to the
client.
In conclusion the role of the Aboriginal worker and the ALO is to ensure that patient like
Judy are able to access the closing gap service by the Australian government which can help the
patients to gain and improve their health condition through the sociological support provided by
the health professionals. It is one of the most effective method to merge and combine the best
service practices to help the client.

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