Kimberley residents will soon benefit from a $10 million investment for the introduction of the Community Health Information System.
The Kimberley region has been chosen as the first of seven WA regions to receive the upgraded technology, which is designed to better target personal healthcare.
Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Dave Grills MLC said the contract for the new system had been awarded to Telstra Health and would be funded from the $500 million Southern Inland Health Initiative, made possible by Royalties for Regions.
“Providing new and improved services, facilities and technologies like this to remote areas of WA, such as the Kimberley, is paramount,” Mr Grills said.
“Initiatives like this are extremely important to patients and medical staff residing in rural, regional and remote parts of the State.
“They help reduce the tyranny of distance by providing patients with high quality healthcare, on par with their city counterparts.”
He said the Kimberley would receive the new system in May and it would subsequently be rolled out to the six remaining WA Country Health Service regions.
Mr Grills said the Community Health Information System would record information about child health and development including vaccinations, public health, chronic disease management and pharmacy information to deliver community-based clinical services.
“The Community Health Information System will provide electronic records for patients attending WA Country Health Service’s community and primary health centres,” he said.
“It will also streamline consistent healthcare across the State, particularly for transient patients and high-risk clients, and will promote better regional health outcomes.”
Nationals WA candidate for the Kimberley Rob Houston said the long-term goal was to reduce the gap in health outcomes between regional and metropolitan residents.
“The information system will assist to monitor important clinical and practice reforms and this will promote ongoing improvements,” Mr Houston said.
“It’s great to see that through Royalties for Regions the State Government is continuing to invest in significant initiatives to support positive health outcomes in regional WA.”
The system will run in all WA country areas.
For media enquiries contact Dave Grills MLC on (08) 90711 500 or email dave.grills@mp.wa.gov.au.
