Queenslanders on cattle stations, fishing vessels and mining sites need fast access to quality healthcare, like anyone else.
It’s the life-saving innovation that has passed the test of time. Established 80 years ago, RFDS Medical Chests are more vital than ever, providing peace of mind to isolated communities without a nearby doctor.
A feeling Jo is all too familiar with.
Jo’s baby daughter, Millie, was just six months old when she had a seizure. “I’m a trained nurse,” says Jo. “But in that moment, I was like any other parent. I was terrified. I knew her airways could get blocked.”
Jo’s family was living on a cattle station in Channel Country. There was no doctor nearby, but there was a Flying Doctor Medical Chest.
“I said to my mother-in-law, who was staying with us at the time, ‘Bring me the RFDS Medical Chest, it has the number for the Flying Doctor.’”
A few moments later, Jo was getting instructions from the Flying Doctor, so she knew exactly what to do. A short time later, Millie and Jo were flown to Charleville Hospital.
Three years later, Millie had febrile convulsions a second time, while she was visiting Brisbane. This time, the seizures didn’t stop for 70 minutes.
Febrile convulsions tend to affect children who are six or under. Millie is now five, so she’s still not in the clear.
