Historically speaking, health services have been part and parcel of racist policies. Which is why Aboriginal people have reason to be suspicious of Australian mainstream health services.
Indigenous health
Fixing health: Crikey reviews the latest report
The much-anticipated report from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has landed. Bernard Keane gets to grips with the detail.
Aboriginal patients may end up the real losers in ACC victory
After a long-running legal tussle, a remote Aboriginal health clinic has lost its battle against the Australian Crime Commission to safeguard the privacy of its patient records.
Politicians alone can’t close the gap
Governments cannot fix the problems until they work with Aboriginal people in remote communities — not for them, says Rollo Manning.
Closing the gap: let’s talk about things that work
Closing the Indigenous gap was never going to be easy, but the reception of the Productivity Commission report will unfortunately make it harder, writes Eva Cox.
“Closing the Gap” is like wrestling with smoke
As yet another round of headlines emerge about lack of progress on indigenous health and social indicators, the “Closing the Gap” initiative can look more than ever like wrestling with smoke.
Rudd turns his back on closing the gap
Labor’s rhetoric on Indigenous health is better than in the Howard years, but the reality from Rudd and Macklin is no different from Howard and Vanstone, writes Gavin Mooney.
Indigenous doctors thumbs down for NT intervention
If this is an independent and transparent process, then I’m a monkey’s uncle, writes Melissa Sweet.
Can we close the gap? Not at this rate
The Federal Government, through the health programs under its direct control, spends only 92 cents on Indigenous people for every $1 spent on the rest of the population, writes Lesley Russell.
Time to intervene in the employment of Intervention doctors
A Remote Area Health Corps Agency is to be established to recruit and deploy health professionals to remote Indigenous communities in the NT. About time, writes Dr Glynis Johns.
Graham: A missed opportunity for Indigenous affairs
For Indigenous affairs, it’s not exactly bad news though Wayne Swan’s a bit of a miser, writes Chris Graham.
Indigenous funding fares better under the Liberals
What concerns Indigenous affairs watchers most is that if recent history is anything to go by, blackfellas are in for a bit of hiding. In budgetary terms, Indigenous affairs funding fares much better under the Liberals, writes Chris Graham.
Ministerial briefing note 1: To the next health minister
The ideal health system, I suggest, is one where appropriate and effective care is provided to all who need it a timely and an efficient manner, writes Professor Stephen Leeder.
Why the media’s focus on Royal North Shore Hospital is unhealthy
Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital has been copping a media hammering for weeks now. Unfortunately, much of the coverage has been a waste of valuable media space. It’s time to give the RNSH a break, for the sake of our health, writes Melissa Sweet.
Why everyone’s election health policies are lacking
A sound health policy will not just spend money, it will spend it wisely. The AMA’s latest policy hits all the politically-correct buttons but are we getting the best value for our health spending?
Not a single voice in support of intervention
During a three-day conference here on Indigenous health, the message has come loud and clear from doctors, lawyers, researchers, public servants, economists and Aboriginal leaders. Not a single voice has been raised in defence of the Federal Government’s plans for the NT.
Champion of ‘caucasian’ health meets the locals
Gulkula in north east Arnhem Land will once again this weekend host Garma, the Territory’s leading Aboriginal festival of culture and ideas. This year’s theme: Indigenous health: real solutions for a chronic problem. But there’s a Caucasian in the woodpile.
Mutitjulu community leaders: please listen to us
Leaders of the Mutitjulu community, located near the base of Uluru, question the need for a military occupation of their small community.
30 years of reports into Aboriginal Australia
We’re constantly told about the numerous reports over recent decades highlighting the state of Aboriginal Australia that have been ignored or filed away. Here’s Crikey’s list …
