Back in the late ’90s, Geraint Lenegan used to deliver groceries with his semi-trailer to Aboriginal communities in remote Western Australia.
He didn’t know it then, but his ultimate delivery to remote WA would be his son, Jarrad, who – on school holidays – would often be sitting next to him in the cab on those long road trips up north.
Fast forward more than 20 years, and Dr Jarrad Lenegan is now a Remote Vocational Training Scheme registrar working in Broome and Fitzroy Crossing while he undertakes his GP training
toward ACRRM Fellowship.
What got you interested in rural medicine?
The reasons I have gone rural probably pre-date my interest in medicine. I fell in love with the beauty of central and north Western Australia when I joined my dad in his truck during school holidays. He delivered groceries to remote Aboriginal communities in places such as Warburton and Tjukurla in the Gibson Desert. I was also lucky enough to study at a rural clinical school in Orange (NSW) and be a part of the John Flynn Placement Program during medical school – this ‘maintained the rage’ and my passion for heading bush.
What appealed to you about GP training with RVTS?
My partner Ishbel and I had discussed living in the Kimberley. When I started searching for jobs, I stumbled across RVTS and its ‘targeted recruitment’. There was a job advertised for a GP
Registrar at Broome and Fitzroy Crossing, and when I rang up to talk about the opportunity, I was immediately hooked. RVTS has ensured I feel well supported and I reckon I have some of the most consistent and high quality GP training you can receive. Ishbel has also found a great job up here – she’s working as a lawyer for the Aboriginal Legal Service in Broome.
What has training with RVTS meant for the communities you are serving as a doctor?
Fitzroy Crossing has been reliant on locum doctors throughout its recent history and this is ongoing. I believe this works well enough for the emergency department, but does not suffice for general
practice and chronic disease management. In these roles, persistence and a local perspective really matter. Having a consistent doctor for the past year has increased the trust of the local community, but also has allowed me to build the relationships and understand the finer details that allow me to provide more thorough and tailored care.
What is the history of Fitzroy Crossing?
Fitzroy Crossing is a fascinating town built around a bridge (the crossing) that spans the mighty Fitzroy River. The ‘crossing’ itself has changed over time – it is now the Great Northern Highway,
which heads from Broome/Derby (via Willare) to Halls Creek and Kununurra. Prior to 1960 and the introduction of the Pastoral Award, the majority of the Aboriginal people within the Fitzroy Valley area were living and working on large cattle stations. Following the introduction of the compulsory award, hundreds of Aboriginal people were displaced from the stations and forced to live in atrocious living conditions on the fringes of Fitzroy Crossing. Over the ensuing decades, the Aboriginal people of the five Fitzroy Crossing tribes – Bunuba, Gooniyandi, Nyikina, Walmajarri
and Wangkatjungka – built communities extending east over one hundred kilometres from the river.
What does your mix of work across Broome and Fitzroy Crossing entail?
I work fly-in/fly-out from Broome into Fitzroy Crossing. When I am in Broome, I work at the hospital in the emergency department or on the ward. When I head to Fitzroy Crossing, I work in general practice on weekdays and in emergency on the weekend. On Wednesdays in Fitzroy Crossing, I also head out to the local nursing home, Juniper Guwardi Ngadu. Working between Fitzroy Crossing and Broome (the direct retrieval hospital for Fitzroy Crossing) has made my skills in arranging transfers so much stronger. I’ve had to be on both sides of the phone and you sympathise with the doctors in the very remote clinics who are relying on the prompt arrival of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Has the RVTS cultural awareness training assisted you in your work?
The allocation of Andrew, my dedicated cultural mentor in Fitzroy Crossing, has provided me with a direct link to the local Aboriginal community. I have completed a number of formal ‘cultural awareness’ modules – both lectures and online. But nothing can compare to the experience of being on Gooniyandi country with a Gooniyandi manwho takes you to where he was born and shares with you hidden rock art and important cultural, fishing and hunting places along the Fitzroy River.
What are your longer-term plans as a doctor?
I have committed to working between Broome and Fitzroy Crossing for at least the next two years. I intend to undertake extended skills training in anaesthetics to become a GP anaesthetist and to provide this service to the Kimberley. Ishbel and I are also keen to see more of Australia and her home in New Zealand, so we might see what opportunities arise in other rural communities in the years ahead. That is the beauty of being a rural generalist – flexibility and adaptability is key – and there’s plenty of demand for this in some spectacular places.
What interests do you have outside medicine?
Coming to the Kimberley has allowed us to explore (by foot or 4WD) some truly arid and untouched locations. Ishbel and I are really keen to do this more over the coming years. I have also
recently picked up the hobby of archery, and I am enjoying the simple meditation of flinging some arrows at a target.
Original article published in the Remote Vocational Training Scheme newsletter Journeys. Article has been edited for length.