Indigenous health to benefit from $10 million pledge

25 January 2008
The Faculty of Medicine will establish a Centre for Indigenous Health following a $10 million donation, the largest pledge by a living individual to the University of Sydney.

The immediate objective of the new Centre is to establish a number of outreach medical clinics in western New South Wales, which will directly provide health care to local Indigenous communities.

The Centre will also significantly increase the Faculty of Medicine's commitment to the education and training of medical and public health students in the challenges of Indigenous health. It will provide similar opportunities for students in other health disciplines such as nursing, physiotherapy and speech pathology.

"This is a very exciting project for the Faculty and the University, and we are enormously grateful for this donation. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to work towards correcting problems and inequities that exist in Indigenous health, thanks to the generosity and farsightedness of an individual," said Professor Bruce Robinson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

The first outreach clinics will be held in Dubbo, Bourke, Brewarrina and Broken Hill.

"These locations were chosen because we already have established links with the communities," said Professor Robinson. "Our plan is to start on a relatively small basis, learn from our experiences and proceed to expand the program provided that we have adequate funding."

"The Faculty has for many years had a strong commitment to Indigenous health education but the establishment of this new Centre allows us to expand our programs.

"One of our key aims is that, with a greater exposure to Indigenous health, more of our young medical, dental, nursing, physiotherapy and other health science students will be well equipped and inspired to work in this important area."

Contact: Andrew Potter
Phone: 02 9351 4514