Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kelly(CNAHS) doctor/nurse/receptionist team. Six staff members at Gilles Plainswho are on contracts will become unemployed as of Christmas Eve, and themanager and one receptionist are being moved off site. Staff fromNunkuwarrin Yunti who currently provide clinical services and women’scentred care do not know whether they will still be positioned at Gilles Plainsnext year, or moved to another site. Community members have not yet beenofficially told of the changes, but they know something is up and they havecertainly not been consulted or imformed (Community consultations 2008).The partnership between Nunkuwarrin Yunti (Adelaide’s CommunityControlled Aboriginal Health Service) and CNAHS is in serious jeopardy.Collaborative programs involving other services have been disrupted ordiscontinued.This is a very disturbing end to the growing trust and collaboration thatinvolved had evolved by involving Aboriginal community women, healthprofessionals, onsite managers and visiting service providers. Once again,services that local Aboriginal women and their families contributed to, andvalue, are being discontinued. Health professionals who have committed toimproving Aboriginal health at Gilles Plains are being forced to walk away,knowing that they take Aboriginal clients’ expectations with them. The gap iswidening.This series of events poses very serious questions about the real intentions andimpacts of our health system, and whose needs the health system is reallyfocused on. Unfortunately it reinforces the belief spoken between Aboriginalcommunity members and Aboriginal health workers that if a program isworking, don’t tell anyone or it will be discontinued (Community consultations2005). The personal cost for all involved is incredibly high and I question thatthis is an acceptable ‘side effect’ of systems change. I also question how thistop down approach of rapid and drastic non-collaborative change couldpossibly counter the ongoing devastating effects of colonisation, discriminationand exclusion of Aboriginal people. One cannot help but conclude that despiteits purported goal of Closing the Gap, the health system is in fact continuingthe colonisation of Aboriginal women clients and health professionals throughsuch arrogant, unilateral, and one sided decision making.327