Paul,

Is the chapel off limits to some because of their race?

This is segregation by another name. In the 70s in the hospitals in the Kimberley there were special toilets for indigenous people, labelled “ native toilet”. Presumably to cater for those remote dwelling people who didn’t know how to use a toilet and insisted on using the floor. Certainly none of the town dwelling part aboriginal people ever used them. Now it seems we are reverting to native only areas again, this time in the name of cultural sensitivity.
However I’m at a total loss to understand why a section of the community, raised in cities, educated in public schools, celebrated as football heroes and totally at home in restaurants, shopping centres and nightclubs would suddenly develop a feeling of fear or discomfort when obliged to wait in an emergency room. Next to all the same people they mingled with at school, footy, Kmart, Centrelink etc.
Or is it because some of them can’t be bothered waiting and this system will see them fast tracked through the system ahead of others?
And with this now happening, can we now do away with the million dollar aboriginal health centres that were specifically built for this purpose?

//Is the chapel off limits to some because of their race?//

Will certain races be prohibited from looking at the Aboriginal artwork?

"Will certain races be prohibited from looking at the Aboriginal artwork?"

Not at all, but many, of all races, may not bother; aboriginal art is akin to Guinness, in that appreciation is an acquired taste.

Big Nana

please go into politics. We need some rational thinking people.

Dear Paul,

The policy does not mandate separate waiting rooms for
Indigenous patients. What it does is - it calls for
a "culturally appropriate space," within each hospital
to be identified (like Chapels, for example). It is
not mandatory - it's simply a sense of thinking about
what is culturally appropriate and what might help the
local community. It need not just be Aboriginal - it
could be any local community, Chinese, Lebanese, Sudanese,
Indian, Italian, Sri Lankan, et cetera. It's about making
their hospital settings more culturally inclusive in ways
that best suit the community.

A trial on the Mid North Coast showed a 50% reduction of
Indigenous patients leaving early from emergency departments
after cultural awareness training for staff was introduced.