Marrabinya is a Wiradjuri word meaning “hand outstretched.” It’s the name of a service in the Western New South Wales Primary Health Network which financially supports Indigenous Australians to attend specialist consultations.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples receive specialist medical care 40% less often than non-indigenous Australians. It’s easy to imagine communities out in the red desert and blame culture clash or the tyranny of distance, but most Indigenous Australians live in cities or regional communities. The Marrabinya staff explain how socioeconomic factors and institutional biases can accumulate to prevent Aboriginal patients from receiving the care they need. 

Marrabinya is an exemplary model of principles that RACP has formalised in the Medical Specialist Access Framework. Indigenous leadership, cultural safety, person and family-centred approach and a context-specific approach can all contribute to great gains in the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Guests
Marrabinya Executive Manager Donna Jeffries and chronic care link staff Desley Mason, Kym Lees, Possum Swinton, Sandra Ritchie, Melissa Flannery, Joanne Bugg, Jacob Bloomfield and Gaby Bugg. 

Production
 Written and produced by Mic Cavazzini. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound; ‘Dusty Delta Day’, ‘Hard Shoulder’, ‘Leather Feather’ by Lenon Hutton. ‘Melting Places’ by Andres Cantu. ‘That Impossible Last Breath’ by Da Sein. Image adapted with permission from Maari Ma Health.

Valuable feedback to this episode was provided by Masita Maher (RACP Project Lead for Aboriginal Initiatives) and Terry Williams (Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and RACP Consumer Advisory Committee). Also the following members of the RACP Podcast Editorial Group; Seema Radhakrishnan, Michael Herd, Paul Cooper, Li-Zsa Tan, Ilana Ginges and Lisa Mounsey. 

Please visit the RACP website for a transcript embedded with citations. Fellows of the College can claim CPD credits for listening and additional reading.