10 HEALTH NEWS
THURSDAY 29 JUNE 2023 TORRES NEWS
Travel subsidy rates looking healthier A travel subsidy for patients who access essential health care away from their home communities has been increased to help vulnerable Queenslanders manage cost of living pressures. The Government announced the recent state budget would fund the increase to the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS). The PTSS provides financial assistance mostly to rural, remote and regional Queensland who have to access essential specialist health services not available within 50km of their closest public health facility. The scheme assists with travel and accommodation expenses. Subsidies also exist for air, bus, ferry or
rail fares for eligible patients. Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said all Queenslanders deserved access to health care, no matter where they lived. “While we always aim to provide services for patients as close to their homes as possible, it’s inevitable that people will need to travel to larger centres for specialist care,” she said. “The PTSS provides assistance to countless Queenslanders. “Over 234,600 claims were made in 2021-22 alone, highlighting just how critical this scheme is for regional, rural and remote Queenslanders. “We believe a 16 per cent increase in
TN0461 • 09/02/23
the accommodation and escort subsidy and a 13 per cent rise in the mileage subsidy will make an enormous difference. “We know it will take some of the stress off people who need to leave their communities for specialist medical care.” She said the patient accommodation and escort subsidy would increase by $10 per person, per night to $70 per person, per night. The fuel subsidy will rise by 4 cents per kilometre, taking it to 34 cents per kilometre. The government also provided funding in relation to repatriation costs for deceased patients to their place of residence under the PTSS.
d/D d > ^h : d dK , E' t/d,Khd EKd/ h dK Y Ed ^ ^ , h>/E'͕
TIMETABLE SUBJECT^KD & ZZ/ ^ D z EKd KW Z d TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE DUE TO QANTAS SCHEDULING, SOME FERRIES MAY NOT OPERATE
Ph: (07) 4069 1586 Thursday Island/Horn Island Ferry Timetable from 06/02/2023 dŚƵƌƐĚĂLJ /ƐůĂŶĚͬ,ŽƌŶ /ƐůĂŶĚ &ĞƌƌLJ dŝŵĞƚĂďůĞ ĨƌŽŵ ϬϲͬϬϮͬϮϬϮϯ All TI Transfers Include Complimentary Bus Service on Thursday Island.
J All TI transfers include complimentary bus service on Thursday Island J
IMPORTANT NOTE: - We will ALWAYS meet any QANTAS and Skytrans flight from Cairns - should extra services be scheduled (eg School Holidays) we will add services that may be outside this schedule. For late flights - you MUST have a booking
IMPORTANT NOTE: We will ALWAYS meet any QANTAS and Skytrans flight from Cairns – should extra services be scheduled QF = QANTAS WATER TAXIS AND CHARTERS AVAILABLE QN =MUST SKYTRANS (eg school holidays) we will add services that may be outside this schedule. For late flights – you have a booking.
FROM
MON
TUE
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
TI
6:15
6:15
6:15
6:15
6:15
06:15 *
HIW
6:25
6:25
6:25
6:25
6:25
06:25 *
TI
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
7:00
HIW
7:15
7:15
7:15
7:15
7:15
TI
8:00
8:00
8:00
8:00
8:00
8:00
8:00
HIW
8:15
8:15
8:15
8:15
8:15
8:15
8:15
TI
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
09:00 QF2489
HIW
9:15
9:15
9:15
9:15
9:15
9:15
9:15
TI
10:30
10:30
10:30
10:30
10:30
10:30
10:30
HIW
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
10:45 QF2488
TI
11:45
11:45
11:45
11:45
11:45
HIW
12:00
12:00
12:00
12:00
12:00
TI
13:45 QF2497
13:45 QF2497
13:45 QF2497
13:45 QF2497
13:45 QF2497
13:45 QF2497
HIW
14:00
14:00
14:00
14:00
14:00
14:00
TI
15:15 QF2491 15:30 QF2496
15:15 QF2491 15:30 QF2496
15:15
15:30 QF2496 /
15:15 QF2491 15:30 QF2496
15:15 QF2491
HIW
15:15 QF2491 15:30 QF2496 /
15:30 QF2496
15:30
TI
16:15
16:15
16:15
16:15
16:15
16:15
HIW
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
16:30
TI
17:15
17:15
17:15
17:15
17:15
17:15*
HIW
17:30 QF2490
17:30
17:30 QF2490
17:30 QF2490
17:30 QF2490
17:30* QF2490
TI
18:00 *
18:00 *
18:00 *
18:00 *
18:00 *
HIW
18:10 *
18:10 *
18:10 *
18:10 *
18:10 *
15:15
SUN
failure included smoking, alcohol consumption, low level of physical activity, poor diet, stress and social isolation. “Recognising symptoms of heart failure is key to early diagnosis and effective patient management,” she said. “Symptoms of heart failure can be debilitating with shortness of breath, fatigue and fluid retention, which impacts people’s ability to walk, work and care for themselves. “However, symptoms of heart failure can also be quite subtle, and include fatigue, shortness of breath on exercise, or a cough when lying in bed at night. “If you are concerned that you may have heart failure, you should see your GP for an assessment in the first instance. “Your GP may refer you to a heart specialist. “There is huge potential to save lives, improve quality of life, and maintain independent living if it is diagnosed early, treated with appropriate medications, and incorporates lifestyle changes. “Although there is currently no cure for heart failure, early detection, medical therapies, and lifestyle changes can help people to manage their condition well and lead productive and fulfilled lives.” For more information see https://hearts4heart.
org.au/
Heart failure doesn’t mean that your heart has stopped, but it is ‘failing’ to keep up with your body’s demands. The heart is unable to pump enough blood through the body to meet its nutritional needs, either because it is unable to fill with enough blood, or its pumping action isn’t strong enough, or both.
Symptoms can include any of the following:
& Ϭϳ ϰϬϲϵ ϭϰϬϴ ŝŶĨŽΛƌĞďĞůƚŽƵƌƐ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ Important: please request pickups at least 1 hour prior to Ferry departure �me ǁǁǁ͘ƌĞďĞůƚŽƵƌƐ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ Please note: Please be aware that we will have ferries to meet EVERY QANTAS and SKYTRANS flight from /ŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ͗ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ƌĞƋƵĞƐƚ ƉŝĐŬƵƉƐ Ăƚ ůĞĂƐƚ ϭ ŚŽƵƌ ƉƌŝŽƌ ƚŽ &ĞƌƌLJ ĚĞƉĂƌƚƵƌĞ ƚŝŵĞ Cairns. If you can not see a ferry that suits your flight please CALL the office on 4069 1586.
W Ϭϳ ϰϬϲϵ ϭϱϴϲ
WůĞĂƐĞ ŶŽƚĞ͗ WůĞĂƐĞ ďĞ ĂǁĂƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĞ ǁŝůů ŚĂǀĞ ĨĞƌƌŝĞƐ ƚŽ ŵĞĞƚ s Zz Y Ed ^ ĂŶĚ ^<zdZ E^ ĨůŝŐŚƚ ĨƌŽŵ Bookings are essen�al for 18:00/18:10 ferry Mon-Fri, and Saturday 06:15/06:20 & 13:45/14:00 Sunday ferry 17:15/17:30 ONLY operates when Qantas operates a late flight. ĂŝƌŶƐ͘ /Ĩ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ŶŽƚ ƐĞĞ Ă ĨĞƌƌLJ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƵŝƚƐ LJŽƵƌ ĨůŝŐŚƚ ƉůĞĂƐĞ >> ƚŚĞ ŽĨĨŝĐĞ ŽŶ ϰϬϲϵ ϭϱϴϲ͘
Office hours are Monday to Friday - 08:00 - 17:00 - Please consider these hours to make bookings - our office is not manned outside of these ŽŽŬŝŶŐƐ ĂƌĞ ĞƐƐĞŶƚŝĂů ĨŽƌ ϭϴ͗ϬϬͬϭϴ͗ϭϬ ĨĞƌƌLJ DŽŶͲ&ƌŝ͕ ĂŶĚ ^ĂƚƵƌĚĂLJ Ϭϲ͗ϭϱͬϬϲ͗ϮϬ Θ ϭϯ͗ϰϱͬϭϰ͗ϬϬ hours and we can not look up bookings or emails. We answer the phone whilst the ferry is running, but please try to book during office hours. KĨĨŝĐĞ ŚŽƵƌƐ ĂƌĞ DŽŶĚĂLJ ƚŽ &ƌŝĚĂLJ Ͳ Ϭϴ͗ϬϬ Ͳ ϭϳ͗ϬϬ Ͳ WůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŚŽƵƌƐ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ďŽŽŬŝŶŐƐ Ͳ ŽƵƌ ŽĨĨŝĐĞ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ŵĂŶŶĞĚ ŽƵƚƐŝĚĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŚŽƵƌƐ ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ĐĂŶ ŶŽƚ ůŽŽŬ ƵƉ ŬŝŶŐƐ Žƌ ĞŵĂŝůƐ͘ tĞ ĂŶƐǁĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƉŚŽŶĞ ǁŚŝůƐƚ ƚŚĞ ĨĞƌƌLJ ŝƐ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ͕ ďƵƚ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ƚƌLJ ƚŽ Ŭ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ŽĨĨŝĐĞ ŚŽƵƌƐ
The prevalence of heart failure is expected to rise with the prevalence of heart attacks, longer life expectancy, and shifting health and lifestyle trends, health promotion charity Hearts4Heart says. Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Associate Professor Ingrid Hopper said heart failure was so common it has been described as an “epidemic”. “Roughly two per cent of the Australian population are living with heart failure,” she said. “It’s a disease of older people mostly, as prevalence increases with age, from around one per cent for those aged less than 55 years to over 10 per cent of those aged 70 years or over. “People with certain diseases and illnesses seem to be more prone to developing heart failure, including people with high blood pressure (hypertension); coronary heart disease (fatty deposits in arteries); weakened heart muscles from heart attack; heart valves that do not open or close properly; and cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle). “Obesity and diabetes are both associated with an increased risk of developing heart failure, particularly among women.” She said daily-life risk factors that may contribute to the development of heart
What is heart failure?
P J 07 4069 1586 • F J 07 4069 1408 • E J info@rebeltours.com.au • W J www.rebeltours.com.au
^ƵŶĚĂLJ ĨĞƌƌLJ ϭϳ͗ϭϱͬϭϳ͗ϯϬ KE>z ŽƉĞƌĂƚĞƐ ǁŚĞŶ YĂŶƚĂƐ ŽƉĞƌĂƚĞƐ Ă ůĂƚĞ ĨůŝŐŚƚ
Academic dubs heart failure an ‘epidemic’
• Shortness of breath during minimal exercise or exertion • Needing to use extra pillows when lying down to breathe easier • Irregular heartbeat or palpitations • Swelling of legs, feet or stomach • Coughing/ wheezing • Weight gain over a short period of time (e.g., more than two kg over two days) • Extreme tiredness, low energy or no energy • Loss of appetite
