Health van bought with Murrindindi community funds swings into action after fires
The health van is on the road helping people in the bushfire-affected region around Yea. (Supplied: Warren Davies)
In short:
The Murrindindi community raised more than $150,000 to pay for a mobile health van to visit rural towns.
The day after it was officially launched bushfires engulfed the area.
What's next?
The mobile health van will make regular stops in towns to deliver mental and physical health care.
As bushfires become more frequent across Australia, a rural community has created a self-reliant way to bring timely medical help to people in need.
The Murrindindi Mobile Health Van was officially launched at Yea, in Victoria's north-east last month, and is staffed by doctors and nurses who travel to remote towns to provide care at people's doorsteps.
When the devastating Longwood fire broke out, the very next day, around Yea, Alexandra, and Yarck, the health van was put straight into service.
"[Organiser] Andrew Embling even mentioned in his speech at the launch that it could be deployed as a disaster relief vehicle, and that's exactly what it did," rural mental health advocate, Warren Davies said.
The official launch at the Yea saleyards. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
"It's been full steam ahead for the last three weeks.
"On the Monday, five days after we launched the van, we were stationed in Alexandra with myself and a nurse on call for people to come in.
"There were lots of people coming in who were fairly shell-shocked,"Mr Davies said.
Warren Davies says residents have already used the van to get support. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
Funded by community
Andrew Embling is a local livestock agent and heads the community organisation, Alexandra Events.
He came up with the idea of the van when he saw nurses giving farmers health checks at the Yea saleyard canteen.
"I saw the ladies out here in the heat doing blood tests and I thought we should get a van," Mr Embling said.
"At our annual truck show, we raised $118,000 within 24 hours at an auction.
"I don't cry a lot, I'm a tough old shit, but it's very emotional to see it come to life."
Andrew Embling felt emotional when the van hit the road. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
Along with the money from the auction, funding came from local businesses, families and organisations.
"This van is for the community, by the community," Mr Embling said.
'Private and confidential' care on wheels
Mental health clinician Sarah Austin will take the van to people who have limited access to the local Yea and District Memorial hospital, where she is the community health manager.
"It's incredible, I've had this dream for a very long time," Ms Austin said.
Instead of just doing house calls, health care professionals can now set up in towns across the region, helping more people.
"We've got a heap of clinicians — dietetics, diabetes, cardiac nurse, social work, speech pathology and other mental health clinicians," she said.
The van is a dream come true for Sarah Austin, while Andrew Embling helped make it happen. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
For the past two years, Ms Austin ran the health checks at the saleyards and is thrilled to have the van.
"The first skin checks we did, we just had a sheet as a partition in the canteen, and people were just getting their kit off," she said.
"It was incredible, but wasn't overly appropriate.
"Now we have a space that is actually private and confidential."
The health van is providing medical care in remote communities. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
Ms Austin is hoping the van will encourage more people in her region to seek medical help, in particular farmers.
"We knew that farmers didn't get treatment for things. I'm guilty myself," Ms Austin said.
"[But they're] actually very interested and wanted to know what we were doing next and even giving suggestions."