A new health service providing free medical care to people experiencing homelessness is set to open in the CBD in September.
Street Side Medics (SSM) is a weekly service that acts as a mobile general practice. The vans are equipped with medical equipment and provide a variety of medical services weekly in areas with demographically high concentrations of homelessness.
Founded in 2020 by Dr Daniel Noor, we have since supported thousands of patients across NSW. The clinic in Melbourne's CBD is the first of its kind in Victoria.
Dr Noor, who was named Australian of the Year in 2022, told CBD News that bringing the service to Melbourne had been on his mind for some time due to the prevalence of homelessness in the CBD. spoke.
According to the last census, 30,660 Victorians were experiencing some form of homelessness, with Melbourne city center known for its high proportion of people sleeping poorly and living in improvised accommodation. There is.
The clinic will be located in front of the Salvation Army's Melbourne Project 614 site alongside the evening Twilight Café service.
The clinic will open on September 5 and will operate from 5.30pm to 7.30pm every week at the same location, providing a range of general practice services. Bulk billing is also possible.
However, for patients who do not have Medicare or experience other limitations, SSM has a no-turnaway policy and sees all patients free of charge.
“We don't need anything. All we need is a name, we create a patient record and we go from there,” Dr. Noor told CBD News.
Services include, but are not limited to, immunizations, pathology services, physical exams, diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions, screening tests, and referrals to appropriate health care professionals.
“By offering walk-in service in the same location every week, our aim is not only to improve patient attendance, but also to build trusting relationships with patients while taking care of their medical concerns,” says Noor. the doctor said.
Today, SSM has more than 600 volunteers and multiple customized vans, working with partner organizations to provide a number of critical services, such as meals and laundry, to people experiencing homelessness.
But despite the organization's interstate growth, its path to success was riddled with adversity, and Dr. Noor repeatedly told him the organization was doomed to failure.
At the age of 24 and in his final year as a medical student living in central London, Dr Noor came up with the idea for Street Side Medics after giving first aid to a man who was having a seizure.
When paramedics arrived, they spoke to the man's friends who said he had been having seizures for months.
But when Dr Noor asked if they had gone to see a neurologist or general practitioner, they laughed at the suggestion of seeking help.
After learning that homeless people in the UK struggled to access healthcare, Dr Noor researched Australia's healthcare system and discovered that despite having one of the best healthcare systems in the world, accessibility issues I was shocked to find out that I had this.
“There are many significant and difficult barriers that limit access to health care for people experiencing homelessness,” Dr. Noor said.
“Barriers to homeless people accessing services include lack of awareness of available services, prohibitive costs, lack of transportation, level of documentation required, stigma and embarrassment, past negative experiences and distrust. I found out that it includes feelings.
But thanks to Dr Noor's efforts, these barriers have been reduced and the young doctor says 12 clinics in New South Wales and Melbourne's first SSM clinic will open in September, providing services nationally. 's dream is getting closer to reality.
In addition to the mobile clinic, SSM also has a research and education department.
The research unit is led by a specialist nurse and focuses on collecting data on the plight of Australians experiencing homelessness specific to accessing primary health care.
Meanwhile, the education sector aims to shape the way future generations view homelessness by working with primary schools, high schools and higher education institutions.
Dr Noor said he was also pleased to announce that SSM is developing a training division to identify suitable candidates for training and potential employment who are experiencing homelessness. •
