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AMS Redfern: Here for our community, here to stay! by Sol Bellear 13 May 2014
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n the past few weeks, false and defamatory material has been distributed about the AMS Redfern in the local community. I think it’s important to acknowledge that if we don’t remember our history, we’ll be condemned to repeat it. Many of our community members weren’t alive, or are too young to remember life in Redfern in the 1970s for an Aboriginal person. And, with respect, I think a very small minority of our community members who were alive and lived through those days, perhaps need reminding not only of what went on, but of why the AMS Redfern was founded, and why it’s still here today. Our nearest health service was the Rachel Forster Hospital in Albert Street. Despite Redfern having a significant and growing Aboriginal population that numbered in the thousands, the racism at Rachel Forster was horrific. Aboriginal people would arrive at the waiting room, only to sit for hours and be ignored. We would watch as white people who arrived after us, got treated before us. And then, when that was done, we would watch medical staff wander off for a coffee and a chat. Our health was not a priority. Rachel Forster wasn’t the only hospital that acted like that – it was common practice across the country. We had separate wards for Aboriginal people, particularly in maternity. Those wards were liked the roped off sections in picture
Redfern AMS’ first CEO Naomi Mayers with Gary Foley. Image: Koorie web
theatres. The only part of government service delivery that wasn’t segregated in those days was the police cells. So a group of us got together and decided enough was enough. We’d recently established the Aboriginal Legal Service in Redfern to try and give us a fighting chance in the courts. We figured, why can’t we run our own health service as well? The Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern Co-operative Limited was born. We did not receive government funding and we had few friends in the white community. Our clinic was entirely voluntary for the first 15 months. To access medicines and supplies, we would rely on the goodwill of individuals in surrounding hospitals. Sisters from St Vincents would sometimes
ring us and tell us to ‘bring the truck around the back’. We would ‘liberate’ medical supplies to try and treat our community members. GPs like Fred Hollows would knock off work and then turn up to the AMS to give us a few hours of voluntary labour. The administration was also run voluntarily, by our own community people. Dulcie Flower, who is still on our Board today, was one of the first sisters at the Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern. Naomi Mayers, was our first Chief Executive Officer. She remains in that role today. None of what he have today was handed to us on a platter. We had to fight tooth and nail for everything. There was one simple reason for why we got organised, and why we built our own medical service – selfdetermination.
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We knew then, as we Notwithstanding know now, that unless we the outstanding care set the priorities for our that has been provided community, we would never over the decades, noreceive a service that put our one knows better what priorities first. is best for Aboriginal The face of AMS Redfern people, than Aboriginal has changed radically since people themselves. the days when we occupied a Aboriginal doctors small shop in Regent Street. – and today there’s But the one thing that hasn’t more than 200, with changed about AMS Redfern 100 more to graduate is our greatest strength. in the next two years We are still a community– work at Aboriginal Sol Bellear, Chairman Redfern AMS, with Lowitja O’Donahue. Image NCIE owned, community-run and health services around community-controlled health the country. It’s six-month review of our clinical service. notable that none work at the AMS operations. Our two main goals The Board of the Aboriginal Redfern. We aim to change that. are simple. We want to reduce Medical Service Redfern is elected The key to a good organisation waiting times for our patients, by the members of our service – by and we want to improve our – whether it’s work is in health our patients, by our staff, and by or justice – is strong, transparent continuity of care. our community members. governance. If you have questions Currently, most of the AMS Your AMS Redfern Board about your health service, then Redfern’s clinical staffing is works hard for no pay. We do it we’re here to answer them. We are managed by a Sydney-based because not only do we believe in always open to scrutiny, to debate company called GP Synergy. GP self-determination and Aboriginal and, of course, to criticism. Synergy’s focus is to provide a control of Aboriginal lives, but we We value deeply what our training platform for new doctors. remember all too well what life was This is an admirable goal. community says, and we strive to like for us when we left our futures achieve the best health outcomes But while training doctors in the hands of people outside our for our people. is important, and AMS Redfern community. We do not want that We DO NOT expect that believes we should do our part, life for our children. everyone will agree with our it cannot be our focus. We were Today, the AMS Redfern is decisions all of the time. But we established to provide health a worldclass health facility. It is DO expect that anyone who seeks services FOR our community, the largest and busiest Aboriginal to engage with our service – and BY our community. A reduction health service in Australia. We have in the ability of many of our with our community – does so in a forged important partnerships with patients to consistently see the same respectful, meaningful, truthful and other health bodies around Sydney, doctor may benefit the broader productive way. and the nation. We work closely Above all, we expect that those medical industry, but it is not in with all the major hospitals in our working for the AMS Redfern the longerterm interests of our area, and our satellite cardiac clinic community. will share our vision – the at La Perouse was recently lauded The Board of the AMS Redfern strengthening of our community by mainstream media. through self-determination. has decided to suspend our We’re heading in the right Respectful discussion, dynamic involvement with GP Synergy for direction, but there is more work ideas, hard work and good oldsix months in order to look at ways to be done. fashioned ‘blood, sweat and tears’ of reducing our wait times, and to In the coming weeks and ensure the AMS Redfern becomes a is what built the Aboriginal Medical months you will see some changes Service Redfern, and it’s what will permanent home to quality doctors at the Aboriginal Medical Service and nurses who become part of our sustain us well into the future. Redfern. We have recently If you would like to discuss any community. completed a forensic audit of our issues relating to the AMS Redfern, The AMS Redfern’s review accounts, and been congratulated our Acting Chief of Staff, LaVerne of our operations is also about for this by our funding bodies. That ensuring that a communityBellear is available on lbellear@ audit is ongoing. amsredfern.org.au or phone (02) controlled health service remains The Board of the AMS Redfern under the control of our community. 9319 5823. has also decided to undertake a Article featured in AMS History.
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