Sara Garrity
4 November 2021: The University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health has loaned its mobile health clinic to the ACT Government to help with the Territory’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
The University’s mobile health clinic was offered as a resource to assist Canberra Health Services (CHS) during the pandemic, and will be stationed next to the COVID-19 Surge Centre in Garran.
As the COVID Care Clinic, the facility will be used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with chronic conditions.
Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health, Professor Michelle Lincoln, says that the use of the mobile health clinic in such a difficult time is important to the University.
“UC is delighted to make this resource available to CHS at this time, and to play a role in helping the Canberra community get through the pandemic,” Professor Lincoln said.
Earlier in the year, the ACT Government encouraged the use of mobile health clinics throughout Canberra to help with the vaccine rollout, following an increased number of vaccines becoming available in the spring.
The Faculty of Health at the University of Canberra identified the mobile health clinic as appropriate to assist, and it has since been approved to be used as the COVID Care Clinic instead.
The mobile health clinic has curtained cubicles where patients can be assessed and looked after, as well as a preparation area for staff and its own generator and air conditioning capabilities.
CHS has added Medihoods and HEPA-filtered air purifiers to mirror the infection prevention and control measures in place in a COVID-19 hospital ward.
The facility is designed to be moved by a prime mover and can be parked and used anywhere with a large flat surface, such as a car park.
Previously, the mobile health clinic has been used in student-led Allied Health services in southern NSW, and the delivery of the Arts for Recovery, Resilience, Teamwork and Skills (ARRTS) program in rural drought affected areas.
