Murray Bridge Medical Centre wants to make Indigenous patients feel welcome – with art
The day and night surgery has issued a call-out for a Ngarrindjeri artist who can help it spend a grant from the Country SA Primary Health Network.
This sponsored story is brought to you by Murray Bridge Medical Centre.
A Murray Bridge GP clinic is on the lookout for an artist who can make its waiting room more welcoming to Indigenous patients.
An up-and-coming Ngarrindjeri artist will be given the opportunity on a waiting room wall at Murray Bridge Medical Centre, helped by a grant from the Country SA Primary Health Network.
Centre manager Wendy Ziersch’s goal is to build bridges between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous locals who come looking for health care.
“The whole pretext … is to offer a welcoming environment to our surgery,” she says.
“We thought (an artwork) might make the area a little bit more inclusive and inviting for First Nations people.”
The idea sounds simple, but has been backed up by the likes of the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
A 2018 survey found that 22 per cent of Indigenous patients had avoided seeking care from a GP because they felt the service was not culturally appropriate.
In that sense, making clinics more welcoming could contribute to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancy and health outcomes.
Wendy hopes an artist might be able to produce a work which will reflect on:
- traditional healing practices
- local landscapes, and/or
- Ngarrindjeri culture and spirituality
The medical centre hopes to get together a panel of respected Ngarrindjeri people to decide on a winning design.
- More information: Download the flyer on the Murray Bridge Day and Night Surgery Facebook page.
- Express your interest: Contact Wendy at Murray Bridge Medical Centre on 8531 2988 or at pm@murraybridgemedical.com.au.
Heart Health Week was pumping
Meanwhile, Murray Bridge Medical Centre has celebrated Heart Week in style, with staff donning heart-shaped sunglasses and decorating the building and its car park.
Heaps of patients came in for free heart health checks during the week of May 5-11.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia, but healthy behaviours like eating well and exercising can reduce your risk.
- More information: Visit www.murraybridgemedical.com.au, call 8531 2988 or visit Murray Bridge Medical Centre at 35-37 Adelaide Road, Murray Bridge from 8am-6pm on weekdays, 8am-9pm on Wednesdays, or 9am-4pm on Saturdays.
Advertising to more than 20,000 highly engaged locals can do wonders for your business. Call Murray Bridge News’ Jane Intini on 0418 835 768 or email jane@murraybridge.news.
Peri Strathearn
