Health Services come together for Closing the Gap Day Sonder, South Australia’s integrated health service, hosted this year’s Closing the Gap Day at the Adelaide Show Grounds, bringing together health services and community under one roof.
Sageran Naidoo, Sonder CEO said the event was important as it highlighted what health services are available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how to access them.
The day was an opportunity for local businesses and South Australia’s peak indigenous health bodies to encourage community to take care of their health.
“Today’s event is an opportunity to bring together 65 stallholders, together with our partners, SA Health’s Watto Purrunna, the Adelaide Primary Heath
Network and Nunkuwarrin Yunti to showcase what services are out there so that people may realise they are not alone. It is a day to promote early intervention and educate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about the range of health initiatives that they can access.” Mr Naidoo said information about services is not always easy to find.
“This idea of having the Closing the Gap Day event comes from the broad notion that there are so many players out there that some of the services get missed. Some of the providers themselves don’t even know what is out there, and this must be doubly confusing for the community” he said. On the day, people were able to have their general health checks, which often get missed by community members.
Left to right, from top: Segeran Naidoo, Sonder CEO; Immanuel College students Michael O’Loughlin; Vonda Last; Graham Rigney and Cynthia Fielding; Valor Thad and Joshua Warrior; Amanda Richards and Schania Czygan; Martha Watts; Fred Agius, Geoffery Pryor and Pete Thomas; Janice Rigney and Joyce Mostyn; Serena Cruscanti, Matt Farrell and Eloise Wittkonsky; Liz, Gabrelle and Jaye from Centacare; Richards Willetts and Sheryl Tongerie.
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Aboriginal Way, Autumn 2019
