General News
25 June, 2025
Call for urgent action to boost healthcare
A NATIONAL health group has backed a Mareeba healthcare organisation in its call for urgent infrastructure funding to expand services and keep pace with rising demand.
Mareeba and Communities Family Healthcare (MCFH), which is community-owned and operated by a volunteer board, is leading the first trial of the National Rural Health Alliance’s (NRHA) multi-disciplinary model of care which is aimed at identifying healthcare needs in the shire and how they can be met sustainably.
Last week, National Rural Health Commissioner Professor Jenny May and Department of Health, Ageing and Disability officials met in Mareeba with MCFH chair Ross Cardillo and NRHA chief executive Susi Tegen to discuss what is emerging from the $1.57 million project, funded by the Federal Government.
Mr Cardillo outlined some of the actions taken so far, including opening an outreach clinic in Mutchilba, now serving around 1,000 residents, many of whom were the elderly and had had little access to care.
However, the clinic was struggling to meet demand and was urgently seeking support for infrastructure upgrades and to increase its days of operation.
Mr Cardillo also explained that plans were underway to open a second outreach clinic in Dimbulah, but without dedicated infrastructure funding, the expansion was at risk of stalling.
Established in 2020 as a social enterprise without any federal or state funding, MCFH stepped in to take over a health clinic about to be lost to the community due to the retirement of its GP.
“It’s because we care so deeply about our community that we didn’t wait for government support to start this service,” Mr Cardillo said.
“Mareeba has a growing and ageing population and rising rates of chronic disease, but has little support like in the city.
“We urgently need infrastructure funding to expand our services, especially into Dimbulah.”
Despite sending a proposal to the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) in December last year outlining the plan to provide GP services out of the CHHHS’s Dimbulah clinic, the MCFH did not get a response and found out two weeks ago that the space would now be put out to tender.
Mr Cardillo confirmed the MCFH would submit a tender for the space.
“We are way ahead of them, we carried out on-the-ground work, we know what the community wants; they want to be able to see a doctor, and they want a continuation of care,” he told The Express.
“We need more outreach clinics across the shire. I still don’t understand why Queensland Health hasn’t engaged with us and why State and Federal Governments are not working together to support communities that are solving issues which governments are supposed to be delivering on.
“We believe we’re a model of healthcare that should be supported and replicated, not overlooked.”
Ms Tegen said the Mareeba community exemplified what grassroots, community-led solutions and care looked like.
“We’re seeing an inspiring level of passion and commitment in Mareeba. The Federal Government funded innovative models of care trial of our multi-disciplinary model is progressing well and continues to receive positive feedback from the community,” she said.
“This is a population of over 22,000 people contributing significantly to Queensland’s and the nation’s economy through agriculture as well as tourism.
“Yet, residents experience greater socio-economic disadvantage and reduced access to healthcare compared to much of the state.
“Waiting times for GPs and specialist services are unacceptably long, and allied health is limited.
“The clinicians on the ground are incredibly committed, but over-stretched. The NRHA strongly supports MCFH’s call for infrastructure funding to expand local services,” Ms Tegen added.
