Kununurra Remote Outreach Clinic – KROC

For Aboriginal people living in remote communities accessing health care is difficult and they experience worse health outcomes as a result. OVAHS’ previous remote clinic service was limited to two communities during the dry season, due to communities being inaccessible in the wet, and lacking the facilities to ensure comfort and privacy for patients.

Introducing KROC – or Kununurra Remote Outreach Clinic. This 4WD, fit-for-purpose vehicle allows our remote team to travel throughout the East and Central Kimberley; visiting communities on its scheduled route to help those in need who would not ordinarily be able to gain easy access to health facilities.

With KROC – we have been able to increase the number of remote clients and communities visited as well as extend the service into the wet season. This has resulted to an increase in the number of health checks, screenings, health promotion, influenza vaccinations for children and adults, as well as the ability to deliver medications for community members with chronic conditions.

OVAHS is committed to increasing the awareness of health issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote areas. With our diversified healthcare programs, we aim to provide a greater quality of service and improve physical access to improve equitable health and wellbeing outcomes.

Along with providing much needed remote care for patients, our clinical staff enjoy the benefits of developing a greater scope of remote practice skills, upskilling of Kimberley Protocols training, and improving remote clinical practices such as remote emergency care, medical techniques for survival and safety practices.