Bringing modern, best practice training for nursing, midwifery, and allied health students will be realised with the official opening today of the Southern Queensland Rural Health (SQRH) Clinical Training Facility at Charleville.
Attending the opening ceremony in Charleville, Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said the project will provide significant long-term health care support to the Charleville community and the wider region.
“This investment will not only be an economic boost for Charleville but will be the catalyst for training the next generation of medical professionals for regional Australia.” Mr Littleproud said.
“An investment like this is not just bricks and mortar, it also provides a base for various health stakeholders to collaborate and deliver diverse learning opportunities for health students.
“This training site helps to bridge the urban-rural divide, paving the way for students from urban Australia to take this opportunity, challenge themselves and get involved with health in the bush.
“The Government is committed to building the rural health workforce and particularly given the impact of COVID-19, we are especially focused on the need for resilient and sustainable health teams.”
Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton, said the opening represents a major milestone in the development of the future rural health workforce in South West Queensland.
“By building great facilities in rural settings like Charleville, we are helping deliver high quality clinical training opportunities for nurses and allied health professionals, right here in South West,” Minister Coulton said.
“We know by growing the ranks of rurally-trained health professionals, we are ensuring a more stable and viable rural workforce in the future.
“The more we can provide quality training opportunities in the bush, the better chance we have of getting quality health professionals to consider it as a career destination of choice.
“That’s why the Australian Government has invested $2.5 million in this facility through the Rural Health Multi-disciplinary Training (RHMT) program.
“Training opportunities in the South West are outstanding and I congratulate the work of
Southern Queensland Rural Health for increasing student training opportunities in the remote South West,” Mr Coulton said.
“The Commonwealth Government is committed to building the rural health workforce to protect communities from the current pandemic and improve health outcomes for years to come.
The new facility boasts a fully equipped clinical simulation lab, telehealth studios, clinical consultation rooms as well as videoconferencing equipped training rooms, meeting rooms, staff offices and an outdoor education area.
SQRH engages with South West Hospital and Health Service; Royal Flying Doctor Service Charleville; Charleville and Western Areas Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health; Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health; and other community stakeholders to increase the number of students able to access invaluable rural and remote health experiences.
