Birth and death are two inescapable aspects of the life cycle.
However, it is difficult to be born in many places throughout regional and rural Queensland, and dying is costly.
Expectant mothers and the elderly are compelled to leave their families, travel hundreds of kilometers, and spend enormous quantities of money in order to get services that are taken for granted in the metropolis.
Chinchilla, located in Queensland's Western Downs, is approximately 3.5 hours from Brisbane.
However, the local hospital, which is one of 41 in the state, has not provided continuous birthing services since 2012.
Its single nursing facility has a waiting list of 25 beds.
Service for the elderly In Chinchilla, Blue Care provides palliative care, domestic help, respite care, and nursing care, but it is overburdened transferring clients to Toowoomba Hospital for specialty visits and treatment.
Willing to remain
Mike Smith, 69, has been a resident of Chinchilla for the last 23 years.
He said that it's a pain growing older.
Mr. Smith, a type 2 diabetic, travels to Toowoomba once a month for MRI scans and biopsies for prostate cancer.
He said that the local bulk-billing GP office had just closed, that X-Ray facilities were an hour away in Dalby, and that he had to drive to Miles for dental.
However, he and his wife are convinced that they would remain in Chinchilla for as long as possible.
Locals desire to have their children where they reside
Expectant moms in Chinchilla may see a midwife for prenatal and postnatal care, but they cannot have their infants delivered nearby.
Hannah Tydd had her first child in Toowoomba four years ago and is now expecting her second, but the logistics are a "logistical nightmare."
She said that they need to figure out where to stay and when to go - her kid was five days ahead of the due date.
Ms. Tydd was determined to deliver her baby at home after suffering a miscarriage in 2019, but she had to appear at Chinchilla Hospital.
She added that on that night, there were just a few of nursing staff, and one had just had a miscarriage herself, so she was just as devastated.
It kind of reaffirmed that the hospital isn't really suited to deal with pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and such.
There are 41 regional closures
The Maternity Consumer Network, Australia's main maternity advocacy organisation, said that 41 rural Queensland hospitals have eliminated birthing services in recent decades.
A Queensland Health spokesman said that the department is dedicated to providing safe and sustainable maternity care in rural and remote areas of the state.
This featured a new birthing suite at Weipa Hospital, which is scheduled to open in 2022.
The spokeswoman said that it's crucial to highlight that all of our hospitals are capable of performing emergency births.
Palliative care is like a "postcode lottery"
Shyla Mills, CEO of Palliative Care Queensland, said that throughout much of Queensland, especially in outlying regions, a shortage of 24-hour nursing assistance hindered individuals from dying at home.
She said that it's a postcode lottery of how you can receive palliative care across Queensland, and it's dependent on limits that are established up via the hospital system.
Just as significant as childbirth is, the final moment of people's lives is just as vital, and it occurs to all of us.
According to a Queensland Health spokeswoman, $171 million would be spent in palliative care over the next five fiscal years, with $55 million going toward new community-based providers, notably in remote Queensland.
In Chinchilla in 2020, the Western Downs Community Palliative Program assisted 115 people in dying at home or transitioning to a hospital if necessary.
A nationwide issue
According to Professor Sabina Knight, head of the Mt Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health, the issues experienced in regional and rural Queensland were quite widespread throughout Australia.
She said that since there are no longer large extended families, the country doesn't have the caring capacity inside our own family structure, so it makes it extremely difficult... to die at home fully supported.
So, if somebody has chronic sickness or a long-term disease that requires them to relocate, it may have a significant detrimental influence on their health outcomes.
Darling Downs Health is undertaking a study in Chinchilla to attempt to figure out why it is so difficult to recruit and retain physicians and nurses.
According to a Darling Downs Health spokesman, there were 63 media pieces promoting local maternity services between April 2018 and June 2019, and the organisation launched at least eight distinct recruiting efforts for a range of roles across local, state, and national platforms.
Bringing together the young and the aged
Southern Cross Care Queensland, the owner of Chinchilla's local nursing home, has produced a master plan for the property, which includes an 81-bed facility and a childcare center.
They already have one [child care center] in town, but I'm very sure it's filled.
In addition, he is collaborating with the University of Queensland's Rural Health Department to construct an allied health training facility at the site in order to encourage students to "fall in love with the rural community and want to remain."
He added that the potential for individuals to grow up in Chinchilla and then die in Chinchilla would be a huge value to the town.
Telehealth alleviates the strain
Mike Smith says that adopting telehealth has reduced part of his commute time.
He remarked that he believes there's a lot more that can be done.
Professor Sabina Knight agreed that the technology program provided "meaningful care in the home."
They can save individuals a lot of time, money, and effort traveling. However, healthcare cannot be replaced.
