New ENT outreach service in Ballina
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Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service hosted their first Ear, Nose and Throat clinic in February. Dr Puneet Titoria, who visited the Aboriginal service in Ballina from Lismore Base Hospital, advised that more than half of the that 20 Aboriginal paediatric and youth patients that attended the clinic would require further follow-up - either at his rooms or for surgical intervention.
The ENT service at Bullinah is funded through the Healthy Ears, Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL) outreach program which supports access to complete ear health pathways - that include detection, treatment and ongoing management services - for Aboriginal children and youth up to 21 years of age.
Other services that can be supported by the HEBHBL program include audiometry, audiology and speech pathology. The NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) is currently working with local partners to establish a range of HEBHBL services across the state.
For more information about these services, see the HEBHBL Service Delivery Standards on the RDN website.