Health Minister Roger Cook today announced the expansion of the WA Country Health Service’s Meet and Greet service for eligible Aboriginal patients who travel from rural and remote areas of Western Australia to Perth, to receive specialist medical treatment.
The newly expanded service now provides the meet and greet component of the Country Health Connection Program from 6am to 10pm on Monday to Friday and as required on weekends.
As part of the service, Aboriginal drivers meet and assist patients at the airport, bus or train station in Perth and transport them to their booked accommodation, hospital or medical centre for their appointment or admission.
This includes co-ordinating daily transport to and from medical appointments at hospitals and dialysis centres across the metropolitan area; and assisting renal and cancer patients to get to and from dialysis, radiation and chemotherapy treatment.
This co-ordination of transport to treatment not only helps Aboriginal patients from remote communities, it also reduces the number of missed appointments.
The service is available for Aboriginal people who are eligible under the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS). The Country Health Connection team works in close partnership with PATS staff to provide a seamless service to regional Aboriginal patients.