❓ The Minister for Health outlines the Liberal-National government's plan to address glue ear and other health issues in children in remote Aboriginal communities, including funding for Aboriginal health workers, telehealth, and specialist visits.
AnsweredQoN 409Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GLUE EAR — CHILDREN IN REMOTE COMMUNITIES
409. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Health:
Can the minister please update the house on how the Liberal–National
government will make sure that children living in remote communities will get
the appropriate treatment for glue ear that will in turn improve their chances
of receiving a good education and avoiding lifelong disabilities?
409. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Health:
Can the minister please update the house on how the Liberal–National
government will make sure that children living in remote communities will get
the appropriate treatment for glue ear that will in turn improve their chances
of receiving a good education and avoiding lifelong disabilities?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. Before I answer, on
behalf of the member for Scarborough, I welcome the year 11 and 12 students
from St Mary's Anglican Girls' School in Karrinyup.
This question is about something
that is very dear to my heart—that is, how we can better improve the
health of Aboriginal people in this state, particularly the very high incidence
of ear infections in 30 to 40 per cent, and sometimes even higher, of children
in remote parts of the state. We have had numerous discussions on this matter.
In particular, Harvey Coates, an ear, nose and throat specialist, put to us
that we need to change the way in which we manage ear health for Aboriginal
children in this state. We have the Telethon Institute for Child Health
Research buses and services that go out to people, and ear specialists do the
rounds of those communities to treat glue ear in particular. Also, they may
need to put in grommets or clear out the ears of those who have either otitis
externa—an infection of the outer ear—or ruptured drums that
are consequent to middle ear infections and result in lots of debris in the
outer canal. They manage those children very well. People put in a huge effort
to keep their health at the very best level they can, but it does not address
the very high level of infection. His suggestion was that we need an aggressive
treatment system. We have announced in the budget $6 million over four years to
do this. This funding will allow Aboriginal health workers who are already
doing part-time work in these remote Indigenous communities to be employed for
further part-time work of up to 0.2 or 0.3 of a full-time equivalent per
community depending on the size of the community. They will walk around all day
with an otoscope in their hand, looking in ears and measuring ear pressure.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : It is 0.2, so it will be two days a week, which is enough to
cover all the communities of that size in the area.
They will also have the ability to
download the images using iPads or other technology and send those images to
specialists in Perth to get advice. On a weekly basis, they will be able to
make sure that those kids have ear toilets, antibiotics if required and proper
management. Then, if those kids need surgery for their glue ear, they can
coordinate it and take them to a central place such as Halls Creek so the ear,
nose and throat specialist can do the surgery.
At the suggestion of the acting
director general of the Department of Health, we have added two other things to
what those health workers will do. They will look at the eyes, particularly for
the incidence of trachoma in Aboriginal kids to properly manage trachoma, and
also at the teeth. They will be able to do teeth inspections and they will link
these children to the dentist when they come around. There is a new thing out
whereby they can paint the teeth of children over 18 months with fluoride,
which significantly reduces by about 40 per cent the incidence of tooth decay
in children. They will be trained to do that to these children.
I think it is a fantastic step
forward. I am very much looking forward to starting the employment of those
staff. Of course, they will have to go through fairly intensive training to
make sure that they have the ability to check, test, treat and clean ears, as
well as manage the other issues of eye and teeth care. It is a fantastic
program that is trying to close the gap in Aboriginal health in this state.
behalf of the member for Scarborough, I welcome the year 11 and 12 students
from St Mary's Anglican Girls' School in Karrinyup.
This question is about something
that is very dear to my heart—that is, how we can better improve the
health of Aboriginal people in this state, particularly the very high incidence
of ear infections in 30 to 40 per cent, and sometimes even higher, of children
in remote parts of the state. We have had numerous discussions on this matter.
In particular, Harvey Coates, an ear, nose and throat specialist, put to us
that we need to change the way in which we manage ear health for Aboriginal
children in this state. We have the Telethon Institute for Child Health
Research buses and services that go out to people, and ear specialists do the
rounds of those communities to treat glue ear in particular. Also, they may
need to put in grommets or clear out the ears of those who have either otitis
externa—an infection of the outer ear—or ruptured drums that
are consequent to middle ear infections and result in lots of debris in the
outer canal. They manage those children very well. People put in a huge effort
to keep their health at the very best level they can, but it does not address
the very high level of infection. His suggestion was that we need an aggressive
treatment system. We have announced in the budget $6 million over four years to
do this. This funding will allow Aboriginal health workers who are already
doing part-time work in these remote Indigenous communities to be employed for
further part-time work of up to 0.2 or 0.3 of a full-time equivalent per
community depending on the size of the community. They will walk around all day
with an otoscope in their hand, looking in ears and measuring ear pressure.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : It is 0.2, so it will be two days a week, which is enough to
cover all the communities of that size in the area.
They will also have the ability to
download the images using iPads or other technology and send those images to
specialists in Perth to get advice. On a weekly basis, they will be able to
make sure that those kids have ear toilets, antibiotics if required and proper
management. Then, if those kids need surgery for their glue ear, they can
coordinate it and take them to a central place such as Halls Creek so the ear,
nose and throat specialist can do the surgery.
At the suggestion of the acting
director general of the Department of Health, we have added two other things to
what those health workers will do. They will look at the eyes, particularly for
the incidence of trachoma in Aboriginal kids to properly manage trachoma, and
also at the teeth. They will be able to do teeth inspections and they will link
these children to the dentist when they come around. There is a new thing out
whereby they can paint the teeth of children over 18 months with fluoride,
which significantly reduces by about 40 per cent the incidence of tooth decay
in children. They will be trained to do that to these children.
I think it is a fantastic step
forward. I am very much looking forward to starting the employment of those
staff. Of course, they will have to go through fairly intensive training to
make sure that they have the ability to check, test, treat and clean ears, as
well as manage the other issues of eye and teeth care. It is a fantastic
program that is trying to close the gap in Aboriginal health in this state.
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