CALLING doctors with a spare day once a month to provide a clinic at Ulong Health Hub in tandem with monthly visits by Dr Jay Ruthnam, who is currently the village’s only doctor.

Fount of all Ulong knowledge, Carol Cleary, proprietor of the Ulong General Store & Café with her husband Steve, told News Of The Area, “We had our first clinic built and opened in April 2021 which has been very successful and now we are looking to build a second consultation room next door.

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“Dr Ruthnam has been fully booked for every visit and we would like to encourage another retired doctor or a doctor with a spare day to either provide cover for Dr Ruthnam if he’s ever away or arrange a regular consultation day at Ulong.”

The Primary Health Network, through Healthy North Coast, has provided some funding for a second room for Allied Health professionals, however further donations are required to complete this space.

“We have a lot of practitioners in mental health and women’s healthcare coming up to the village on a regular basis.

“With a second room we could accommodate them and also other practitioners providing such services as remedial massage, aged care, acupuncture, dieticians and baby care.”

Currently Carol accommodates the visiting remedial massage therapist and clients in her B&B chalet out the back of the shop.

“And the room could also be used by the visiting nurses for wound care and such like.”

To put it in perspective, Ulong has none of these services on-site locally.

The mountain communities of Ulong, Lowanna and surrounds have to bring in their health services and be coordinated about, and prudent with, funds and volunteer hours.

If they cannot organise a health care practitioner to come up, people have to travel to Coffs Harbour or along the coast.

“Our aim is to coordinate the visiting nurses here on the day the doctor is here, once a month.

“It uses the government’s money better as it keeps people out of the hospital if they can access these services locally,” said Carol.

“That way everyone’s in a win-win.

Carol is now urging the local medical community for support.

“We have vulnerable people up here and we cannot get providers.

“It’s really quite sad.

“Come on folks, let’s get a second doctor and allied health practitioners coming up to Ulong to give the village community a local health service.”

Doctor Ruthnam and his receptionist are coordinated by Northside Health in Coffs Harbour.

Any interested doctors or providers can call Carol Cleary to discuss what’s needed on 0423 905 997.

By Andrea FERRARI