PROFESSOR Dr Kelvin Kong has taken out the Indigenous person of the year at a recent ceremony in Brisbane during NAIDOC week.

Dr Kong is an otolaryngologist (a specialist of ears, throat, head and neck) and is a proud Worimi man.

Advertise with News of The Area today.
It’s worth it for your business.
Message us.
Phone us – (02) 4981 8882.
Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au

“This award means a great deal to me because it represents an opportunity in that we need to change the narrative and know that we only have to look in our own backyard to recognise all the amazing, beautiful, deadly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are doing wonderful things in our communities,” Dr Kong said.

Like other members of his family, his grandmother inspired him to study medicine.

Dr Kong said his grandmother, a true patriarch, had little education but spurred family members on.

As one of only three Indigenous surgeons in Australia and the only otolaryngologist in the Hunter Region, Dr Kong is passionate about addressing the disparity in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children.

Each year he spends a portion of his time working in, and for, remote Australian communities, providing access to quality healthcare that would otherwise be limited or unavailable.

That work is part of a campaign designed to empower communities with resources and information about ear health to reduce the risk of ear disease and hearing loss.

“If we can reduce the risk of hearing loss, we can have a direct impact on a child’s ability to learn and develop,” said Dr Kong.

“The change that we see is remarkable – we can take them from limited hearing and language skills to fully-functioning teenagers with real employment prospects.”

His commitment to improving access to healthcare and breaking cycles of disadvantage for Indigenous Australians is further demonstrated through ongoing research and community outreach programs.

Dr Kong is also passionate about improving pathways into specialist medical training and improving the Indigenous workforce across the health and research sector.

His rare time off is spent with family on their Bulahdelah farm.

By John SAHYOUN