Is there a doctor on the Island?

Saibai Island has a modern Health Clinic which is managed by a wonderful medical team. A doctor visits for three days every few weeks and emergencies are airlifted to Thursday Island or Cairns by medevac. When we first arrived on Saibai Island we had flu injections, Japanese encephalitis vaccination  and had blood tests to check for diabetes, cholesterol, kidney and liver disease and Hep A & B immunity.  Everything came back fine.

After ten weeks on the island I found myself in need of medical assistance for an ear ache. After three trips to the Health Centre and getting sent away three times due to emergencies I was still self medicating on Advil and Panadol with no access to antibiotics or ear drops.

It is not something that can be helped in a remote location. The medical staff can work straight through the night with an emergency and then have to see patients the following day.  People line up in the waiting room and wait all day to see a nurse so me walking in at 3.30 pm after school to get my ear checked is wishful thinking. 

It is one of the downfalls of living and working on a remote Island. 

I am heading back down tomorrow morning to try again. Fingers crossed tonight is a peaceful night with no further emergencies and I can get some drops for my ear.

NSW's win in State of Origin last night did not go down well on Saibai !