I've been holding the Medical Chest Custodian phone a little more often lately.

What started as one shift a week has gradually become two or three.

 

Not because I'm on a power trip, but because the roster has vacancies and, having now seen the service in action from both sides, I know just how valuable the Royal Flying Doctor Service Medical Chest is for our island community.

While I'll always advocate for being the healthiest version of yourself you can be, sometimes even the healthiest among us need help. And last week reminded me of that.

 

You may remember Menke and Julie's story from a few weeks ago. Over Easter, Menke became acutely unwell when her regular doctor wasn't available. Rather than packing up the family and heading to hospital, she was able to consult with the RFDS doctor and have medication delivered from the Medical Chest, allowing her to recover at home.

 

Last week it was much closer to home.

 

At around 11pm, my daughter developed severe abdominal pain. The last ferry had long since departed and what initially looked alarmingly like appendicitis had us both worried. She didn't want to leave the kids overnight and a hospital visit would have meant an ambulance trip to the mainland.

 

As luck would have it, I was the Medical Chest Custodian on duty.

 

I contacted the RFDS doctor, who thankfully knew considerably more than either me or Dr Google. After an assessment, medication was prescribed and supplied through the Medical Chest. By 1am, the crisis had eased, the medication was working, and the household was finally asleep.

 

It was a powerful reminder that the Medical Chest fills an important gap between a Band-Aid and Panadol on one end, and an ambulance ride on the other.

And before anyone asks, yes, someone did suggest there might be a conflict of interest because I was both the custodian and the patient's mother.

 

The reality is there are extensive checks and balances built into the system. Custodians don't diagnose, prescribe or make treatment decisions. Those decisions are made by qualified RFDS doctors. Custodians simply facilitate access to medications that have been prescribed.

 

In a community the size of Coochie, it's inevitable that custodians will eventually assist family members, neighbours or friends. When you're covering extra shifts, it's not a question of if, but when.

 

Which brings me to the point of this story.

 

The more volunteers we have, the less likely any one person is to carry such a large share of the roster. If you've ever considered becoming a Medical Chest Custodian, now would be a wonderful time to put your hand up.

 

If you'd like to know more, contact Julie on 0412 591 509. I suspect she'd be delighted to hear from you.

 

Because sometimes, the most important volunteer job on the island starts with a phone call at 11pm. (Great if you're a night owl, and if you're a day person, the roster is flexible enough so you can only roster on for daytime)