A doctor based on Thursday Island has been awarded a research grant to look at traditional medicine in the region and how it could be incorporated into clinical care.
Dr Joshua Baker has become the first Torres and Cape Hospital Health Service (TCHHS) staff member to receive a grant through the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
He was awarded the $10,000 grant earlier this year and his was one of 18 projects selected by the Foundation to receive a total of $250,000 funding support.
Dr Baker, who is currently A/Medical Director of Primary Health Care on Thursday Island, said he became interested in traditional medicine and traditional healers after seeing how they were incorporated in the Northern Territory and was keen to understand how prevalent this was in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area.
“All of this knowledge belongs to the Traditional Owners and I’m hoping this research will be about trying to find out what people want and a way to help facilitate that to provide more culturally safe healthcare,” he said.
“Ngangkari healers are employed by the Northern Territory health service and one of the questions I will consider is why that is not done in other parts of Australia and could it be done in the Torres Strait.
“I’m interested to see how many people use traditional medicine and healers and see if there is a role for it which can be integrated.
Dr Baker has already consulted with the knowledge circle, which sits within JCU’s Healthy Age Research Team and is made up of elders from Thursday and Horn Islands, and received strong community support for the project.
Appropriate cultural governance will ensure traditional healing knowledges gained from this research will follow the principles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data sovereignty.
He said part of his initial research would include holding yarning circles with local people to speak to them directly about traditional medicine and healers.
“Yarning circles are well established culturally respected research methods in the Torres Strait,” he said.
TCHHS Chief Executive Rex O’Rourke said Dr Baker’s research strongly aligned with TCHHS’s commitment to deliver care focused on cultural safety.
“Our Health Equity Strategy is co-designed with our communities and health partners as we recognise the uniqueness of our region and the importance of tailoring health services to improve the care we provide,” he said.
“I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this important research and how the findings may be incorporated into our services.”
Foundation CEO Gina Hogan said that since 2007, the Foundation had invested more than $2.2 million in health and medical research.
“Supporting clinicians and researchers to pursue new ideas helps strengthen health care in Far North Queensland while contributing knowledge that benefits patients well beyond our region,” Mrs Hogan said.
Photo: Foundation Board Member A/Prof Eddy Strivens, Dr Joshua Baker, Professor John McBride and Foundation CEO Gina Hogan.
