Tips for using health facilities in Australia

If you are in Australia as a student, was on vacation, or work, any tips to use the health facilities in the country? We find out the information of three experts. 

Tips for using health facilities in Australia 

Even when diagnosing a mannequin, Reviews These medical students are polite and friendly. (Credit: University of Melbourne) Medical students at the University of Melbourne

Medical students at the University of MelbourneHok Lim and ozge tanrikut, medicine postgraduate studentsMichal MorrisHealth brochures in different languagesfresh asian foodpumpkin soup with curry leaves

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The health system in Australia is very different from the health system in Indonesia. To help you who are pondering a move to Australia or have lived in Australia, or want to understand more about the health system in Australia, Tito Ambyo met three people who are experienced in the field of health to figure out the best ways to access health services such as doctor or hospitals in the country.

Michal Morris is the manager at the research center Centre for Culture, Ethnicity, and Health in Australia. While Hok Lim and Ozge Tanrikut are following graduate programs in the health field. 

Here are their tips if you want to use the health system in Australia. You can listen to their suggestions in English audio. If you have any questions, please write the question on the bottom of this page! 

1. Go to the hospital only for emergencies.

Emergency services are on the 'casualty' or 'emergency' in public hospitals and some private hospitals in Australia. Find out the location of the nearest hospital, so you can go to the hospital when something happens that requires emergency treatment.

If you can not go to the hospital alone, you can call an ambulance or a phone number '000'. You may have to pay for treatments that require an ambulance.

2. Visit a General Practitioner (GP) for a health problem that is not an emergency.

'GP' is a general practitioner who must first time you encountered when you have health complaints. They can also give advice about health, even when you are not sick. For example, if you often feel a headache or if you want to know more about how to live a healthy life. There are many general practitioners can be visited in Australia, and make sure you feel comfortable with the GP of your choice.

3. Be ready to discuss with your doctor.

In Australia, doctors are trained to conduct consultation and discussion with the patient. Usually, they will not only give medicine without explaining to you what exactly those drugs. And in fact, they are also likely to find out about your health problems on the internet together with you, to help you better understand what exactly the health problems that you face.

So, be prepared to talk and explain what health problems you worry about. If you are not sure of your ability to explain, do not be afraid to ask for help friends or family who can you trust. Or, when you make an appointment with a GP, explain that you need help in communicating.

What is important, because you only have 15 minutes for a consultation with a GP, be prepared to provide the information as accurately and quickly as possible to the GP. 

4. Bring the information regarding your medical history. 

The more information you can provide, the better. If you meet GP for the first time in Australia, take medications you are currently using or information regarding your medical condition, even if the information is in Indonesian. 

5 .  Find help and information in Indonesian.

In Australia, you can often find information in the form of brochures about health in a variety of languages, including Indonesian. 

6. Bring someone to help you. 

As a patient, you have the right to bring a friend or family member to help you. You can also seek help from a professional translator to help you communicate with doctors in Australia regarding your health issues. 

7. Do not wait until it's too late. Better to prevent than cure.

In Australia, there are many programs 'screening' and other health programs that are helping to prevent the disease or detect it as early as possible. This is why the health system in Australia called 'preventative', alias system that focuses on prevention.

Examples of this prevention program is a national immunization program, which also exist in Indonesia, and a free screening program that could help detect some cancers as early as possible.

In Australia, for example, you can get immunization shots before winter to prevent the flu. Also free vaccination for certain groups to some kind of disease caused by a virus. If you want to know more about these prevention programs and how to get it, you can ask a GP.  

8.  Find out about fees.

Permanent residents and citizens of Australia getting many types of health care for free or at discounted price through government health insurance system called 'Medicare'. While international students or tourists in Australia have to buy their own health insurance to pay for health services. Learn what is your obligation, and find out about how much the cost of health services in Australia. 

Vocabulary Hide

GP

'So if it's not an emergency, you're meant to go to your GP.'

Meaning: "So if it was not an emergency, you should visit your GP. '

'GP' is an abbreviation of 'General Practitioner' or 'general practitioner' which is the first physician to be contacted for public health issues. He could then write a letter of recommendation to a specialist if there are health issues that require a doctor with specialist knowledge. 

displaced

'Because we're displaced and we're separated from Reviews those signs of sickness and aging.'

Meaning: 'Because we are separated from the signs of illness and aging.' 

Something is said to be 'displaced' if it is not in its usual place, because I have to go, eliminated or expelled. The word origin is 'displaced'. 

Be careful not to be confused with the 'misplaced'. This word means lost, do not know where. For example, if you forget where to put the key of the house, you could say: 'I've misplaced my house key.' This means that you forget where the keys are, and do not know where the key.

Meanwhile, if something is said to be 'displaced', it means that it is not in its usual place because I have to go, but we know where it is located. 

Examples of the possible use of this word you often hear is the acronym 'IDP' or 'Internally Displaced Persons'. 'IDP', in this context means the refugees away from their homes but remain in their own country. The reason they could be displaced because of natural disasters or man-made disasters (such as war).

Some examples of the use of 'displaced' other:

'He fell from a great height, displacing his shoulder when he hit the floor.' ( 'He fell from a great height, and shifted her shoulder blades when she hit the floor.')

'The president was displaced in a coup.' ( 'The President was ousted in a coup.')

wellbeing

'In Australia Because It's quite a rich culture, we look at health as in health and wellbeing.'

Meaning: 'In Australia, because Australia is a country that is rich in culture, health is seen as an issue that can not be separated from the welfare.'

'Wellbeing' is a noun that means welfare, or the existence of a good and satisfying. It is usually used in relation to health, to refer to the healthy state of psychological, social, and cultural. A person who is physically fit can increase the 'wellbeing' or welfare to live a balanced and happy. 

'He has realised that he has been working too hard and not taking care of his mental health. So, he now takes his meditation classes to Ensure wellbeing. ' ( 'He realized that he had been working too hard and do not care about his mental health. So he learned to meditate to ensure well-being.')

'She does everything to Ensure the wellbeing of her children, but she does not take care of her own!' ( 'He did everything to ensure the welfare of his children, but he did not care for his own welfare!')

The word is also often written with a hyphen: well-being .

preventative

'Another tip I'd say is to try and find out about some of Reviews These preventative health Programmes Because they're quite educational about working with the system.'

Meaning: 'More tips I want to say is trying to find out about the programs of prevention of the disease, because quite a lot to teach about how to use the system [the Australian health].'

'Preventative' is an adjective meaning 'prevention'. 'Preventive' is another word that has the same meaning. 

Australians are encouraged by the government to use the health system to prevent disease, including by conducting regular medical examinations and perform a variety of 'preventative measures' or 'preventive measures' such as eating a healthy diet and exercise.

'I have set up a preventative system to Ensure I do not miss my flight: I have set three alarm clocks !!' ( 'I have made prevention systems to ensure I did not miss the plane: I have lit three alarm clock !!'

'My family has a history of heart disease, so I take preventative measures such as regular exercise and a diet low in salt and fat.' ( 'My family has a history of heart disease, so I did some preventive measures such as exercising regularly and eating foods that are low fat and salt')

screening

'We do a lot of free screenings for people, so there's screenings for bowel cancer and for cervical cancer.'

Meaning: 'We do a lot of early detection programs are free to the public, so there is detection for colon cancer and for cervical cancer.'

In the world of health, the noun 'screening' means the program is trying to detect the disease early on. 

Programs such as this is important for a disease that has many levels such as cancer. For example, people who feel healthy may actually suffer from colon cancer is still in early stages. Program 'screening' for colon cancer is an early detection program that attempts to detect the presence of cancer when it is still in the initial stages and treat it before it becomes more severe cancer.

'It was lucky that she took part in the screening program, Because We MIGHT not have otherwise detected her cervical cancer.' ( 'Luckily he underwent early detection program, because if not, we will probably never detect womb cancer.')