Tuesday this week marked the 12-month anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccination delivered by the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD).

In just one year WNSWLHD vaccination teams delivered almost 124,000 doses in more than 75 local communities.

When that first vaccination was given to Dr Dan Stewart from the Dubbo Health Service Emergency Department last year, the WNSWLHD role was intended to be limited to vaccinating health staff. As the pandemic evolved, that role dramatically expanded with the vaccination team going on to play a huge role in protecting Western NSW communities.

Chief Executive of WNSWLHD Mark Spittal is extremely proud of how the team was able to scale up their vaccine service provision in response to the needs of the communities.

“At the start of COVID-19 vaccination, we were expecting to deliver around 15,000 vaccines to healthcare workers, but within just two months, our vaccination team had rapidly geared up and were vaccinating people in the community,” he said.

“It’s been a truly enormous undertaking. The team has been innovative and flexible, operating major hub clinics in Orange, Bathurst and Dubbo as well as pop-up clinics in other communities, setting up the state’s first drive-through clinic and even providing mobile vans and in-home vaccination when needed.

“Between our vaccine clinics and those delivered by other providers such as local GPs, Respiratory Clinics, Aboriginal Medical Services and pharmacies, we have managed to ensure Western NSW reached high vaccination rates sooner than many other parts of NSW. That’s a huge achievement, especially considering the challenges of distance for many of our remote communities.”

QUE Club members learned about how a baby’s brain grows in utero, and then continues to grow rapidly during the first three to four years of life.

In her presentation to our club’s monthly meeting the Executive Director of Paint the Town REaD (PTTR) Barbie Bates OAM said the first 1,000 days of a child’s life shaped their development and wellbeing. The biggest growth of a baby’s brain is from birth to 12 months/2yrs old.

Barbie said that was why reading, talking, singing, drawing, playing with children every day from birth supported their early brain development and prepared them for reading and writing at school.

Barbie reminded us that the birthplace of Paint the Town REaD was in Parkes, and that there were amazing developments and initiatives which continued to spread the word, for example: This year it is expected that 100 towns in all six states will participate in Paint the Town REaD; ‘Books for Bubs in Preemie Wards’ – so parents, who can’t hold their preemie, can read to their baby and establish a bond; Chief Inspector of Blacktown Police station places pre-loved books in the waiting room and in every patrol car because he noticed this helped children’s stress levels drop; a study at Western Sydney University had second trimester mums read a book to their babies for a week, they then placed a foetal heart monitor on while the mums read a different book, and they found the heart rate increased. In utero, babies react!

Our QUE Club continues to provide new books to every newborn baby in Parkes. We also contribute annually to early childhood development by supporting hearing and speech assessments. Several local schools have better learning environments because of the Soundfield systems we have donated to school classrooms.

By Lynn Rogers

The Parkes Rotary Club will be sponsoring free Mental Health First Aid Courses at Parkes, Forbes and Tullamore over the next two months.

The courses teach people simple, practical first aid skills for helping someone who is experiencing mental health problems, and will be presented by Phil Worrad, Rural Mental Health Coordinator for the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program.

Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of common and disabling mental health issues in adults, how to provide initial help, where and how to get professional help, and how to provide first aid in a crisis situation. It will cover topics such as depression, anxiety, suicidality, psychosis and the misuse of drugs and alcohol.

“Drought, floods, mice plagues, bushfires and now the rising cost of living are having a severe impact on the mental health of rural communities,” said Robert Shore, President of Parkes Rotary. “There is a need for courses like these so people can continue helping each other.

“I have spoken to people who have done this course previously and they all say it is excellent,” he said. “One teacher said it was the best, most useful professional development she has ever done.”

According to Robert the course is educational in learning how to assist others as a first responder, and not a therapeutic or support group.

Each course is run over two days, from 9am to 4 pm and is open to community members over 18 years of age.

The Rotary Club was successful in gaining a grant from the Rotary Drought Relief scheme to run the courses in Parkes on 2nd and 3rd April, Forbes on 7th and 8th May, and in Tullamore on 21st and 22nd May.

To register ring Robert on 0427 627244 or see Charlie at the Parkes Coffee Pot.

World Glaucoma Week aims to raise awareness of glaucoma, a disease that irreversibly takes away your peripheral vision and if left untreated can cause blindness.

The Silent Thief of Sight

If you currently have glaucoma, you may not know it. In fact, half of all people who have developed glaucoma are unaware they have the condition, there is no pain, discomfort and your central vision is unaffected in the early stages of the disease. It is not until significant peripheral vision loss has occurred that people notice they have glaucoma, which by then is too late.

Who Gets Glaucoma?

Two out of every 100 Australians will develop glaucoma, however you are ten times more likely if you have a direct relative that suffers from it.

Other risk factors include diabetes, migraines, over 50 years of age, a strong glasses prescription and a history of high or low blood pressure.

Treatment for Glaucoma

Treatment is mainly aimed at reducing the pressure inside the eye. This is commonly achieved with eye drops but can also be done with the use of lasers and surgery.

Treatment does not cure glaucoma or reverse any vision loss, however it does significantly slow the disease process down. For this reason, in order to reduce permanent vision loss, early detection and treatment for glaucoma is vital.

Everyone over 40 years of age should have a comprehensive eye examination to rule out glaucoma, particularly if you have a greater risk for the disease.

For more information visit our website at www.hansenoptom.com.au or www.glaucoma.org.au

Digital eye strain is the physical discomfort felt after prolonged time in front of digital screens.

Did you know the average adult:

• Looks at, at least three different digital screens every day.
• Looks at their smartphone or iPad up to 60 times per day.
• Spends at least 12 hours a day consuming some form of media from a digital screen.

So, it is no surprise that staring at screens throughout the day can be hard on your eyes and may cause digital eye strain — even if you don’t currently wear glasses. Because screens are small, bright and we spend a lot of time staring at them, they make our eyes work hard.

Here are some of the most common conditions you can experience by staring at screens for too long:

Dry Eyes – when you look at something up close (eg your smartphone) you reduce your blink rate, which can cause dry irritated eyes.

Eye Strain – also known as ‘eye fatigue’ – can cause headaches, red, irritated eyes and neck or back pain.

Headaches – usually frontal (across the top of head) or to the temples (side of head) after prolonged close work.

How to protect yourself:

Good Visual Hygiene – take frequent breaks; watch your working distance and good lighting.

Protect your eyes against harmful blue light radiation from digital screens.

Use specialised lenses called anti-fatigue for all device use.

If you want to know more or have any eye-related problems, pop into Eyecare Plus Parkes at 267A Clarinda Street or call 6863 5577.

COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. We have had an epidemic, leading to the pandemic, then Delta, Omicron and now we are told there is the ‘son of the Omicron’!

Let us not downplay the seriousness and tragedy of this epidemic, however, because of the epidemic, many other medical issues of concern have been more or less pushed into the background. I refer, in particular, to cancer. Like other illnesses, cancer has played its usual part in impinging on people’s lives. Sometimes the results are as devastating as the virus.

People, men and women are still suffering from cancers of all kinds and living with and dying from, its effects. This is true, but you do not have to travel the journey alone. When you are told that you have cancer, you need someone to support you, someone you can talk to. The family also needs support. Your doctor and specialist will provide you with the medical help and advice, but you may need more than that. There is also the emotional side of the journey.

The Parkes Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support Group was formed to do just that. This group have met on a regular basis over the past few years to support men, and their families, suffering from prostate cancer. Those who have come, have never regretted the time spent together.

Over the years, the group has opened their meetings to any person travelling the “cancer road”. We do not give any medical advice. We simply share our stories and support each other emotionally. We provide appropriate approved and published medical information, suggest other cancer groups and services that may be able to help and strive to make people aware of the need to follow up any concerns they may have with their GP. We are affiliated with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, an organisation which endeavours to support further research, find new forms of treatment and supports local groups, such as the Parkes Prostate Cancer Support and Awareness Group.

The Group meet every fourth Tuesday of each month at Parkes Neighbourhood Central at 7pm. You and your support family or person, are very welcome, no matter what cancer road you may be travelling.

By Michael Lynch

It has been a tough few years and all Central West residents have been affected in some way.

Whether it be our primary producers recovering from the effects of drought, to floods and storms threatening homes and farmland and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all faced significant adversity and, in a show of typical regional Australian community spirit, we have stood tall to be our best selves against these challenges.

Australia can be proud that it is one of the most vaccinated countries when it comes to COVID-19. The fact remains, despite new variants, vaccination remains our best defence against this virus.

The good news is the scientific data suggests Omicron is less severe than previous variants, but it is much more transmissible, which is why we need to continue doing the right things to keep safe the more vulnerable in our community – practising social distancing, wearing masks when appropriate and getting the COVID-19 jab.

Whether you have rolled up your sleeve twice or you have become eligible recently, such as those in the five to 11-year-old age category, your efforts to continue to protect your community through getting the booster or getting your first jab are to be commended – you are saving lives and protecting livelihoods in your local community. Thank you.

We all want to get back as quickly as we can to the way our lifestyles were before the pandemic – the vaccine is helping us do just that.

You can go to www.health.gov.au to find the nearest available COVID-19 vaccine clinic and to book your vaccination.

By Michael McCormack
Member for Riverina