Ngak Min Health
OVERVIEW Ngak Min Health provides comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary health care services to Djarragun College students, their families and the wider community.
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The burden of disease for Indigenous Australians is more than twice that of non-Indigenous Australians. The major causes for this gap are wide ranging with mental health, cardiovascular disease and chronic illnesses being the main contributors. To close the gap on Indigenous health outcomes, it’s vital to intervene early.
The clinic, located on the Djarragun College grounds in Gordonvale, opened in 2019 and is Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited accredited. In 2020, Ngak Min extended its services to Cape York Girl Academy students and Bama Services employees. It focuses on whole-of-life, seamless and integrated care across all sectors.
Ngak Min seeks to improve health, wellbeing and educational outcomes by:
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providing early intervention and care, including systematic screening for health and mental health,
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providing education, training and health promotion,
Family Empowerment Report // July-December 2021
including inside the classroom, and building the capacity of students and their families to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing.
Ngak Min, meaning Healthy Water, is a vital element that heals and brings life. Traditionally, Elders would welcome visitors onto Country by placing water from the land on their heads and speaking to the Spirits of the land to acknowledge the presence of the visitors to keep them safe from harm.
