New renal facility for Kowanyama

WORK will soon start on a renal dialysis facility in Kowanyama, which should reduce the amount of travel to Cairns for local patients.

The new $4.5 million unit will be built adjacent to the existing Kowanyama Primary Healthcare Centre and will include consultation and storage rooms and a stateof-the-art communications room, in addition to the four-chair renal dialysis unit.

“Work on the new unit will start later this month and construction is expected to be completed and the unit operational in early 2024,” said Dean Davidson, the acting CEO of Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service.

“We are developing a model of care that will allow haemodialysis services at Kowanyama to be delivered with the support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners with advanced training in kidney health.

DIATREME Resources’ proposed Northern Silica Project has been deemed a project of regional significance by the Queensland government, as the resource company moves through the approvals process for the sand mine.

Diatreme CEO Neil McIntyre said the announcement was an important regulatory boost for the project as the company moved through the environmental approval and permit process.

“We are delighted to receive this designation, which is an important regulatory vote of confidence in our Northern Silica Project and its economic and social significance for the region, particularly the local communities of Hope Vale and Cooktown,” Mr McIntyre said.

The project of regional significance designation would allow Diatreme to apply in future for water entitlements for the mine. If approved, the proposed $1 billion silica mine in the dunes near Hope Vale could produce five mega tonnes of silica annually for 25 years.

Get vaxxed: TCHHS

CAPE York parents and certain vulnerable people are being urged to take up the pneumococcal vaccine after rising cases of the pneumococcal disease emerge.

So far there have been six cases this year after the region recorded eight cases in 2022 and five in 2021.

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service public health medical officer Dr Allison Hempenstall said anyone who wanted to protect themselves or their children against pneumococcal disease should talk to their vaccination provider or local primary health care centre about getting vaccinated.

She said the Australian Immunisation Handbook recommended pneumococcal vaccination for specific groups.

Two types of pneumococcal vaccine are provided free under the National Immunisation Program for different age groups and circumstances:

Dr Hempenstall said pneumococcal disease was caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (also known as the pneumococcus).

“These bacteria are commonly carried in the nose and throat without causing any health problems,” she said.

“They are easily spread by coughing or sneezing. Sometimes, when people get this bacterium, they go on to develop disease.

“There are several strains of the bacteria, some of which are more likely than others to cause disease.”

“The health service already has an advanced kidney health practitioner at Thursday Island unit and is training another for Bamaga.

“We are also developing a training pathway for other Indigenous health practitioners to build skills to support all our health service’s remote dialysis services and other specialist services.”

The Kowanyama haemodialysis unit will be the fifth assisted dialysis unit in the Torres and Cape region, with units already estab- lished at Thursday Island, Weipa, Cooktown, and Bamaga.

However, not all patients requiring dialysis are able to have their dialysis in one of these units.

“Due to the complexity of their conditions and the clinical requirement for them to have immediate access to highly specialised kidney services that are not available locally, there may always be some patients who will need to relocate permanently to Cairns, or another large centre, to access those services,” Mr Davidson said.

“But for those deemed clinically suitable, the availability of assisted dialysis services is a major improvement in their lives.”