Mobile clinic brings lung health checks for regional miners

Assistant State Development Minister and Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert announced on 28 April that Heart of Australia will design, build and operate a mobile health service to bring lung health checks to past and present regional mine and quarry workers. The prime mover truck is predicted to be on the road by the end of the year, clocking around 50,000 km annually. “This mobile screening service will be taking important testing to quarry workers and miners where they live and work to support the early detection and prevention of mine dust lung diseases like black lung and silicosis,” Gilbert said. “The 25 m, two-trailer truck is projected to clock about 50,000 km annually, delivering chest X-rays and respiratory checks.

“The exact routes and schedule are being planned to work with existing services, but will likely include the coal fields across the Bowen and Surat Basins, the North West Minerals Province, and the opal and gem fields in the west and south-west of the state. The mobile service will complement existing health facilities already available to current and former workers across the state,” Gilbert said. Heart of Australia has several years’ experience providing specialist medical service clinics to rural and remote communities across Queensland via custom-designed trucks. Dr Rolf Gomes, founder of Heart of Australia, said the truck would be built and fitted out in Queensland, and operated by a multidisciplinary team.

“When you step on board the new mobile clinic you will find a range of sophisticated equipment similar to what you would find in a respiratory practice in the city,” Dr Gomes said. “There will be the capacity to conduct full health assessments for current and former mine workers, including chest X-ray screenings, as well as follow-up investigations like high-resolution computed tomography and complex lung function testing where required. Depending on what service is needed in each region, staff required to operate the service could include doctors, nurses, radiographers, and of course a truck driver.”

The mobile health service will also provide health assessments for mine rescue personnel and additional health services for the mining community, including respiratory and hearing protection fit testing. The vans are part of a range of health and safety reforms introduced by the Palaszczuk government to better protect mine workers, including free respiratory health checks for mine workers when they start and leave the industry and every five years while they are working.

The reforms also include access to the same free checks for retired or former coal, mineral mine and quarry workers, and special training for all medical professionals who provide compulsory mine worker health checks. The Palaszczuk government has also introduced increased maximum penalties for offences to $4 million and powers for the regulator to issue fines without going to court.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Dima