General News
11 June, 2025
New outreach clinic in Mutchilba
MAREEBA Medical Clinic has forged ahead with a new outreach clinic in Mutchilba but plans for a service in Dimbulah will now have to go through a tender process.
Mareeba and Communities Family Health Care (MCFHC) said in a statement last week, that it had spent 18 months researching services in the region and had “identified a clear need for accessible medical services in both Dimbulah and Mutchilba”.
“In response, we are taking proactive steps to support the health and wellbeing of these communities,” a spokesperson said.
The Mutchilba clinic is open on Tuesdays from 8.30am to 5pm, with Dr Nathan Walmsley seeing patients.
The new arrangement was made possible through support from Dr Ebbie Swemmer, who offered space at his Rural Medical Skin Clinic in Masterson Street, Mutchilba, for the “very necessary community service”.
MHFCH was also planning to open an outreach service in Dimbulah and sent a proposal to the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) on 19 December last year outlining the plan.
“But with no response to date, we have made the decision to move forward independently in the best interests of our patients and the wider community,” the MHFCH Board said in a statement.
“As a first step, we are proud to open our clinic in Mutchilba.”
MHFCH Chair Ross Cardillo said the Mutchilba clinic would improve access to a local doctor, reduce travel time and make life easier for residents needing medical care.
“While a clear need for services has also been identified in Dimbulah, it is unfortunate that we have not received a response from CHHHS to our proposal to better utilise their facility by providing a doctor two to three days a week at the Dimbulah clinic,” he said.
However, in a response to The Express newspaper on Thursday, CHHHS said it had discussed the proposal with the Mareeba service but had since decided to conduct an open market tender.
CHHHS Chief Executive Leena Singh confirmed the Mareeba clinic had approached them in November last year to access space in the Dimbulah Primary Health Clinic to provide a GP service.
CHHHS had also met with Mareeba representatives in January and February 2025 to discuss the proposal. It was subsequently advised it should: “use a fair and equitable procurement process through an open market tender to outsource space for private GP services at our Dimbulah clinic”, Ms Singh said.
The tender was still being prepared and would be open “to all private practice GP clinics in the region including Mareeba Medical Clinic”.
Mr Cardillo said on Friday that he had only just learned of the tender via a radio broadcast. The clinic would “most definitely” put in an expression of interest, but they “shouldn’t have to”.
“We provided our proposal and I have been ringing and trying to speak with someone about it for months,” he said. “Why has it taken six months for this?”
He said the research and surveys conducted over the 18 months before the proposal had been carried out by clinic volunteers, in partnership with the Rural Health Alliance, after they had received a grant from the Federal Government’s Innovative Models of Care (IMOC) Program.
“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 said.
The Dimbulah clinic currently provides a nurse-led clinic five days per week from Monday to Friday, and a GP visits the clinic twice a week from Mareeba Hospital.
To book an appointment for a Tuesday at the Mutchilba Medical Clinic, contact Mareeba Medical Clinic at (07) 4092 2877. For Tuesday appointments only, the Mutchilba Medical Clinic can also be contacted directly on (07) 4243 3567 if needed.
