A Shorten Labor Government will commit $1.8 million to establish two new Danila Dilba Health Service Clinics in Rapid Creek and Coolalinga.
Danila Dilba is the only Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation in the Yilli Rreung (Greater Darwin) region of Northern Territory.
Danila Dilba provides vital primary health care and comprehensive community services to over 15,000 Indigenous Australians every year through their four existing locations.
The service has recently experienced an influx of patients. From 2010 to 2015 the patient clientele increased by 60 per cent and as a consequence Danila Dilba has since been forced to turn away an average of 15 clients a day. It is forecasted the Indigenous population will continue to grow in years to come, adding to the current overwhelming demand for the service.
Labor’s $1.8 million commitment to work in partnership with Danila Dilba to establish two new clinics will greatly assist in alleviating the growing service demand.
The investment will contribute to refitting and refurbishing two new facilities: one in Darwin’s northern suburbs (Rapid Creek) and the other in Palmerston rural area (Coolalinga). It will also better match resources to the areas where Danila Dilba’s client base is large and growing (less than 6 per cent of its patients live in the Darwin CBD, where its services are currently focused).
Each of the new clinics are expected to service 2,000 clients a year.
This commitment from a Shorten Labor Government will assist in significantly expanding the total capacity of the Danila Dilba Health Service, and ensure the local Indigenous population have access to both culturally appropriate health care and a high level of service delivery.
An independent analysis of Danila Dilba found that every $1 invested in the service delivered over $4 in benefits (in reduced health costs and improved wellness). The analysis concluded:
“Investing additional funding into Danila Dilba would represent a sound investment in improving Indigenous health in the NT, and would assist with further closing the gap in Indigenous health outcomes.”
Labor is dedicated to driving long-term health improvements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through partnerships with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations such as Danila Dilba, Labor is committed to closing the gap.