Community & Business
21 May, 2021
Dimbulah residents call for health system change
FRUSTRATED Dimbulah residents have called for immediate changes or improvements to clunky patient software and data program, RIVeR, which forced a much-loved and long serving doctor to permanently stop practicing in the small town.
FRUSTRATED Dimbulah residents have called for immediate changes or improvements to clunky patient software and data program, RIVeR, which forced a much-loved and long serving doctor to permanently stop practicing in the small town.
Dr Margaret Purcell has served the Dimbulah region for more than 10 years but ongoing problems concerning RIVeR, which continues to prove inefficient, cumbersome and difficult to use saw Ms Purcell last work in the small town close to four weeks ago.
A Dimbulah resident who spoke with The Express on condition of anonymity said the evolving situation was a complete joke.
“We’re calling on Queensland Health to change the program or at the very least make it compatible with Mareeba Hospital’s,” the concerned resident exclaimed.
“We’ve lost our favourite doctor, a doctor that has looked after patients of all ages in Dimbulah because of a software system that is hard for doctors to use, update, and navigate.
“We have this wonderful primary health clinic in town but some residents are simply choosing to see GPs in Mareeba, all because of a faulty computer system that doesn’t allow ease of use for doctors.”
Since Ms Purcell’s departure the situation has only worsened, with patients enduring at times two hour wait times as locums doing temporary stints navigate the troublesome system.
