Bulbuwil Outreach Centre open & operational in Miranda

5th March 2015

Mondays at Miranda Community Centre are bustling since the introduction of the new Bulbuwil Outreach Centre. It's the newest component of the Bulbuwil Program, a joint venture of the South Eastern Sydney Medicare Local (SESML) and Local Health District (SESLHD). Each Monday the centre opens its doors to provide free health screenings and lifestyle activities on a drop-in basis.

As SESML Care Coordination and Supplementary Services (CCSS) Paul Ryan explains, Bulbuwil, which means ‘healthy lifestyle’ in the local Dharawal language, was established to address the 'missing link' between the Aboriginal community and health services that are provided. “We have a nurse who will do your health screening, check your blood pressure and your sugars and have a chat with you about your health in general”, Ryan says.

The Outreach Centre was added in late 2014 to complement the existing Bulbuwil programs, which include a walking group, gym and water activities group. “The community actually told us they wanted health support services outside of the hospitals, so that is why we’ve set up the Miranda drop-in centre”, says SESLHD’s Care Coordination Manager Deb Kelly.

Deb and Paul are quick to point out that the Outreach Centre is about a lot more than just health screenings, with a strong focus on social aspects.

Bill Ramage, who has been participating in the Bulbuwil Program since its early days, agrees. “It’s an important program, because there’s a lot of Aboriginal people who go through social isolation. I was going through some isolating times, unemployed and starting to drift back into a depressive state as I was before. The program has taken me out of social isolation and reversed it. It’s social inclusion”.

Bill points to the community-focused approach and the involvement of Aboriginal Health Workers as the key to the program’s success. “In mainstream programs there’s not as much understanding of the culture”, he notes. “Bulbuwil do their job well. It’s a high standard.”

Though the centre is still in its early days, Paul Ryan is looking forward to seeing even more people getting involved for whatever services they need. “Whether it’s for medical advice, housing, legal aid, anything like that. We try and get the best outcome for everybody.”

The Bulbuwil Outreach Centre is open every Monday from 10.30am – 3.00pm at the Miranda Community Centre – 97 Karimbla Rd, Miranda (Opposite Miranda Train Station).