Galiwin'ku!

Well. Here I am in Galiwin'ku. It's a community on Elcho Island, and I'm here filling in for a GP who left today. There's so much in my mind to talk about! Perhaps some background to it all, then some snippets of impressions.
Tim and I will be in Nhulunbuy next week, visiting Andy, Cathy and the girls. I was asked to come a week early and fill in, because the GP leaving was a bit sudden.  I'll be back after the week in Nhulunbuy, and I'm hoping that Tim will be able to come too, for a week - then he goes to Katherine Hospital for a 2 week obstetrics locum, and I finish 3 weeks here.  We meet up in Darwin, then off to Wadeye for 5 weeks!
Travelling here went well and I had an afternoon and overnight in Darwin - time for a swim in the sea, in safe waters, no crocs - and I didn't meet the 3 foot (harmless) queen fish either, which was good, but I had to overcome the fear of meeting it, and keep swimming...

• Fun to meet a dentist and dental nurse, at Darwin airport - on the same plane, but they got off at Maningrida. Coming to Elcho Island next week. 
• What a beautiful place this is! Here's the sunset view from the veranda

And a visiting boat in the bay - friends of Andy & Cathy working in Nhulunbuy, sailing to Darwin for holidays

(That's the mainland in the distance)

• There are many Aboriginal Health Practitioners working at the clinic. This makes a huge difference to how things happen. It's great to work with them. 
• The clinic buildings are old, and a bit higgeldy-piggeldy, but seem appropriate for the context
• There's talk of a new clinic to be built. I sincerely hope it's right for the community - I mean, a place where they feel comfortable
• Lovely to see a patient with diabetes who had a heart attack this year, and has since started to turn things around - going to the gym, has lost a lot of weight
• Everyone talks about taking a stick to be prepared for the "cheeky dogs" but I haven't encountered any. However I'll be careful
• I was driven around the community today, a bit of orientation. That included the barge landing 

• A new patient record software to learn! It has strengths and weaknesses, compared to the one at Wadeye. It's a challenge! 
• The clinic here is run by Miwatj, which is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service.  This makes a big difference to the relationship with the community, and also to staff pride in it
• No grog permits here at all! Not for anyone! The police searched all the luggage off the plane, and were at the barge landing. Apparently each community sets up the rules around this. 
• It's great to walk after work - there's about an hour before it's dark

I'm missing Tim! Will be good to be together in Nhulunbuy next week.