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Echuca Regional Health celebrates NAIDOC Week

By Shannon Colee

Jul 4, 2023

Morning tea: Echuca Regional Health chief executive officer Robyn Lindsay was joined on Tuesday morning by Njernda chief executive Tracey Dillon, as well as local Elders May Andy, Judith Atkinson, Sonya Parsons née Briggs, Aunty Fay Walker and Denise Morgan-Bulled. Photo by Shannon Colee

Echuca Regional Health had a special NAIDOC Week morning tea celebration at the hospital on Tuesday.

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Local Elder and the hospital’s Aboriginal liaison officer Sonya Parsons née Briggs said that it’s a way for the hospital “to show support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when they come into the hospital to make sure that we are culturally safe and caring in a cultural manner”.

“It's all a part of sharing and learning, you know, and providing the best service to community,” she said.

Celebration: Robyn Lindsay and Tracey Dillon were both in attendance. Photo by Shannon Colee

Making sure that First Nations Australians feel safe at a healthcare service is an important step in improving the overall health of the community.

“You know, years ago our Elders were lucky to reach 60 because of health issues and the environment that we lived in. Now we’ve got elders living until, 85, 95, which is just absolutely amazing,” she said.

Ms Parsons née Briggs said her role “also allows me as an Aboriginal Elder to be a part of their journey while they’re here in healing”.

ERH chief executive officer Robyn Lindsay spoke about the importance of inclusion within healthcare services. Photo by Shannon Colee

She said the hospital had been supportive in allowing demonstrations of support such as staff members having long-neck turtles, the area’s totem, on their ERH shirts.

“If staff want to get that emblem put on their shirt to show that they acknowledge First Nations people they’re happy for that to happen,” Ms Parsons née Briggs said.