Close The Gap
BBQ and Gathering at GEGAC
Friday, 17 March
Book Your Free Health Check
Cupcakes, Giveaways, Win a Deadly Choices Shirt
Encouraging local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to get a free health check is the focus of a Close The Gap Day event at Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative (GEGAC) on Friday, 17 March.
Through the 715 Health Check program, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages can get a free health check at Aboriginal Medical Services and bulk-billing clinics.
This health check helps identify whether someone is at risk of illnesses or chronic conditions.
For Close The Gap Day on Friday, 17 March, GEGAC welcomes all Community to a BBQ and gathering at the GEGAC Campus on Dalmahoy Street, Bairnsdale.
COVID vaccinations will start from 9.30am, with lunch from 11.30am to 1.30pm.
There will also be cupcakes, giveaways, and a draw to win a Deadly Choices shirt.
The Close The Gap campaign was launched in 2007, to help address the wide disparities in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Most Australians enjoy one of the highest life expectancies of any country in the world — but this is not true for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can expect to live at least 10 years fewer than other Australians.
Babies born to Aboriginal mothers die at more than twice the rate of other Australian babies, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience higher rates of preventable illnesses such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.
Get a Health Check – Prevent Serious Illnesses
For GEGAC Nurse Tammy-Lee Chatwin, free health checks are an important way to reduce these preventable illnesses and premature deaths.
“On Close The Gap Day we want Community to come to GEGAC and book in for their 715 Health Checks,” she said.
“A health check only takes about an hour, and it helps us catch any issues before they arise or get worse, especially to do with the heart.”
At GEGAC, a heart check is included with all 715 Health Checks for over 30s.
Tammy-Lee said she hoped more people in the community would visit GEGAC and make use of the medical services before serious health issues happened, not after.
“We have lots of programs at GEGAC to provide holistic care that helps the whole family, and keeps them healthy,” she said. “You do not need to be acutely sick and in crisis for us to help make a difference to your well-being! Come and see us and learn about what we offer to help you and your family.”
At Close The Gap Day on Friday, 17 March, the different services of GEGAC will have information stalls to let the community what services are available.
If you can’t make it on the day, no worries. You can still book your free 715 Health Check by calling GEGAC Medical Reception on 5150 0700.
