University student-run Health Hubs at primary schools in far west New South Wales are beginning to fill gaps in allied health services for rural children.
According to the ABC, teachers, university students and health academics have praised the clinics, installed on the grounds of almost every primary school in Broken Hill.
Amy Vickers is an undergraduate Speech Pathology student at the University of Sydney, and is one of the first students to undertake a placement at the Health Hubs.
‘We've got this big space we've been given to utilise and it's kind of up to us as how we use it,’ Ms Vickers said.
‘I think that has really helped us develop our skills and move a little bit closer towards being graduates and working in the field.’
The modular buildings are an extension of the Allied Health in Outback Schools Program, where university students on placements provide early intervention therapy to school students.
The Health Hubs mean the university students no longer have to deliver therapy in school hallways, foyers or spare classrooms.
The program aims to provide better health and education outcomes for students, give allied health students experience, and make a more manageable load for the local health industry.