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Edition 453
30 July – 5 August 2014
$2.50 inc. GST
Weipa ED concern about surge in non-urgent, after-hours patients WEIPA residents have been asked to use their hospital emergency department only for e m e rg e n c i e s a f t e r hours. Weipa Integrated Health Service (IHS) Director of Nursing and Midwifery Brenda Close said the hosp i t a l ’s e m e rg e n c y department was experiencing a signiďŹ cant increase in the number of people presenting in the evenings and early mornings for non-urgent health issues. “This increase in after-hours presentation for non-urgent and routine problems is putting a strain on our medical, nursing and operational staff,’’ Ms Close said. “We have fewer doctors, nurses and other staff on duty in the emergency department after 5pm and before 8 am and they are really there to deal with emergencies.â€? “Whenever there is a signiďŹ cant increase in presentations to the ED after hours we have to call doctors and nurses back into the hospital. “This should only be happening when a patient is seriously injured, seriously ill or
needs immediate treatment.’’ Weipa IHS Medical Superintendent Dr Alex Dunn said he urged local residents to use the emergency department responsibly. “As a hospital, we are not geared to run a general practice service after hours for routine and non-urgent conditions,’’ he said. “The best place for all non-urgent and routine consultations to occur is in a general practice environment.’’ Dr Dunn said coming to emergency after hours for a routine problem did not guarantee people would be seen more quickly. “In the emergency department, priority is always given to people with the most urgent needs,’’ he said. “Although the emergency department waiting room may on occasion not appear to be busy afterhours, staff may be very busy indeed behind the scenes in the ED ward area treating patients brought in by ambulance that could have urgent medical needs. “You won’t see all this activity from the waiting room.’’
Rocking out for Ancient History
Getting into the Rock n Roll spirit: Front Row; Danielle, Teagan, Taylor, Alyssa (L-R). Back Row; Gabrielle, Mickeely, Ailie, Caer (L-R). BY SHANNON POWER ROCKWIZ is coming to Weipa to support Year 12 students of Ancient History on Saturday August 9 at the Golf Club.
Funds raised from the music quiz will help the students get to Europe on a two-week tour visiting key historic sites. Despite the trepidation of their par-
ents, the students are excited to visit places such as Delphi, Pompeii, Athens, Rome and London. The trip costs $6,000 per student and the teenag-
ers would love to see the town come along to the fundraiser to show their support. Ancient History teacher Caer Stanesby said the night will be a mix
of the television shows Spicks and Specks and RockWiz with ten rounds of music trivia. “There’ll be Guess the Riff, Who Am I?, and the questions will
be from new and old school music,� said Ms Stanesby. Tickets are $25 and are available from the school or the camping store at the shopping centre.
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