FREMANTLE HOSPITAL NEW LOCATION FOR GENERAL DENTAL CLINIC

 

The Fremantle General Dental Clinic has now moved to Fremantle Hospital after the WA State Government spent $ 2.99 million on the relocation of the clinic, which was on the corner of Parry Street.

The service has not only been relocated but improved and expanded.

The new clinic has nine treatment rooms, a dental laboratory, sterilisation areas and staff support rooms. It will offer patients:

• Dental examinations and assessments;
• Radiographic examinations and interpretation;
• Preventive and prophylactic services;
• Periodontics;
• Extractions and minor oral surgery procedures; and
• Fillings, dentures and some crown and bridge services.

Dental care in the new Fremantle Hospital clinic is only available to eligible patients, such a people who have a Pensioner or Health Care Card,

Roel Loopers

ABORIGINAL HEALTH WORKERS DESERVE FREMANTLE APOLOGY

 

While there has been a huge outrage, and rightly so, about the online racial abuse of West Coast Eagles indigenous player Liam Ryan we should never underestimate the daily racist abuse that is going on elsewhere in our society.

I just heard this disgusting little episode that happened in Fremantle this week. The Aboriginal Health Council of WA has a conference in the Esplanade Hotel Lead The Way; Challenge The Possibilities; Imagine the Future, where Aboriginal health workers from all over the state are gathering, and what happened?

Several of the female participants had a smoke outside the hotel during a conference break when a white male drove by and yelled out to them “Why don’t you get a job you black c….!”

Yes, this is still happening in 2019 in Australia! Our indigenous people still get racially abused daily by ignorant dickheads and we need to call it out, every time, each time, always, because it is unacceptable.

On behalf of the Fremantle community I want to apologise to the health workers for the racist fool’s abuse you had to suffer. Fremantle is better than that. I am so sorry!

Roel Loopers

THANK THE LAW MY SISTER DIED WITH DIGNITY

 

Last night our time my oldest sister Marja died in the Netherlands. She was euthanised.

I am not sharing this with you because of narcissism but because the Western Australian government also want to legalise doctor assisted dying and I believe that is a very humane intent. There are community information sessions and community consultation and a very long online survey that took me 20 minutes, but is worth doing.

I am so grateful that my sister died in her own bed in her own home and with dignity and that she had plenty of time to receive family and friends and say goodbye.

The process she had to go through was lengthy and very thorough before an expert committee decided that she was eligible for euthanasia.

Legalising assisted dying is about giving people a choice instead of forcing them to commit suicide in awful and very lonely ways. It should not be politicised or being kidnapped by religious leaders.

There is no threat to religious or cultural values. No one can be forced to be euthanised and neither can doctors be forced to administer it. In my sister’s case her new doctor-the old one had retired-told her it was too early in his young career to feel comfortable assisting her so she was referred to an older colleague.

My sister Marja was assessed on her health and mental health by different practitioners who wrote reports which were considered by an independent panel. There was nothing easy or flippant about that process and not at all what some panel members at last year’s Notre Dame university forum claimed.

Call me an old cynic, but it comes as no surprise to me that the billion dollar age care industry and the billion dollar palliative care industry are against euthanasia, and so are those who believe that only a god can take a life. For those of us who are not religious the promise of heaven, paradise or nirvana is irrelevant, but euthanasia is our pragmatic and humane choice if life is coming to a painful, slow and unstoppable end. We don’t let animals suffer, so why not apply the same compassion to human beings.

It is astounding how unprepared we are for death. It is the elephant in the room that not many people want to talk about. We are not taught how to deal with it, so at the end we try to deal with it the best we can with empathy. I was lucky to be able to Skype with my sister often over the last couple of months and that was good for both of us.

Marja was just three years older than I am and was always there for me. She had inoperable cancer. I am so grateful that she was allowed to die with dignity. All her pain and worries are now over.

Roel Loopers

FREO BIKE WEEK STARTS ON FRIDAY

 

It is BIKE WEEK in Fremantle from March 15 to 24 so hop on your bike and take part in the events.

Check it all out here: http://www.fremantle,wa.gov.au/bikeweek

Roel Loopers

STATE OF THE ART GYM AT NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY

 

 

Clean, flexible and functional design lines, high ceilings flooded with natural light and state-of-the-art equipment provide a backdrop for a unique new training facility dedicated to physiotherapy students at Fremantle Notre Dame University.

The bespoke 125-square-metre exercise gym, located at the former Customs House in Phillimore Street, is designed to fully prepare students to meet the increasing focus on exercise for the prevention and treatment of many modern health issues.

“When providing health care for anyone – from our children to our ageing population – it doesn’t matter what the question is….exercise is almost always part of the answer” said Professor Sarah Love, Dean of Notre Dame’s School of Physiotherapy.

The gym’s training equipment, including aerobic exercise machines and weight lifting equipment, has been carefully selected to maximise options for exercises and activities within the space and to provide the flexibility to alter configurations and layouts to suit specific teaching needs.

“It takes the training of our physiotherapy students to a whole new level, gives them the unique opportunity to gain invaluable practical experience and skills,” said physiotherapy lecturer and Senior Research Scholar Dr Mervyn Travers, who helped to plan and design the gym.

Roel Loopers

STREET GAMES SOCIAL SPORTS START TODAY

 

 

STREET GAMES is starting today in Fremantle’s Princess May Park, so go and check it out!

Every Wednesday from 10-11.30am free social sports will be played; AFL, cricket, boxing, etc.

It should be a fun and social way to get or stay fit, and meet new people.

People of all abilities and genders are welcome, so don’t be shy!

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE CITY SPONSORS FREO STREET DOCTOR

 

 

The FPOL-Finance, Policy and Legislation- Committee  of Fremantle Council unanimously agreed on Wednesday evening to sponsor the Fremantle Street Doctor services for $ 20,000 and will also write to the State Government to seek reconsideration for ongoing funding, since the Health Department slashed all funding for this great initiative by the end of this financial year.

Councillors also agreed to lobby the members for Fremantle Simone McGurk MLA and Josh Wilson MP.

The Fremantle Foundation’s Impact 1000 could be perfect to sponsor the Freo Street Doctor, I believe.

The Mayor and Councillor Rachel Pemberton said that if the City sponsors these important social services it should make the community aware of it through a logo or something.

Your ratepayers’ money at work with the council logo would be great!

Roel Loopers

STATE STOPS FREO STREET DOCTOR FUNDING

 

Black Swan Health has applied to the City of Fremantle for a $ 20,000 per annum sponsorship to be able to continue with the Fremantle Street Doctor services, which they have supplied for over 14 years.

The WA Health Department will stop funding the project at the end of this financial year on June 30, which in my books is an absolute disgrace!!!!

The Freo Street Doctor runs six mobile health clinics a week and is the only medical service for many people, so very essential for those who are doing it tough.

Black Swan Health Ltd. is seeking a $20,000 donation from the City to enable
continuation of the ‘Freo Street Doctor’ clinics. The donation request would support
indirect costs, including:
• Two “Freo Street Doctor’ vehicle running costs, licence, registration, insurance,
service, maintenance and repair, tyres and fuel.
• Outreach worker salary costs.
• Clinical consumable costs.
• Information Technology costs.
• Utilities

To put the money in perspective, the annual Winterworld Festival gets $ 25,000 cash from the city, plus the city loses out on parking fees at the Italian Club, and that comes combined to a total of $ 75,000 for just a few weeks of ice skating fun.

I know what I would prioritise.

Both items are on the agenda of Wednesday’s FPOL Committee, so come and speak out in support of the Freo Street Doctor!!!! 6pm at the North Fremantle Community Centre.

Roel Loopers

PANTS DOWN FOR SEXUAL RESEARCH AT FREO’S FALLS DOWNTOWN

 

 

Visitors to next year’s Fremantle Falls Downtown festival will be offered high-class toilets, if they agree to take a test for sexually transmitted infections.

The WA State Government is offering the free test because of a significant increase in cases of chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

More that 16,000 young people are expected to come to Freo for the two-day festival on January 5 and 6, so the State Government wanted to target the 16-24 year-old, which is the group with the highest reports of chlamydia.

The Department of Health is sponsoring the Falls Festival with $ 50,000.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE COUNCIL NEEDS MICROPHONE ETIQUETTE

 

There is nothing more annoying for me than sitting in the public gallery at Fremantle Council and Council Committee meetings and not being able to hear everything the Councillors are saying.

I admit that I am an old fella whose hearing is no longer as good as it was when I tried to pretend I had not heard my parents, and later on when I grew up, my gorgeous partners, when they told me off, but I just wished the elected members would take my less than 20/20 hearing into account and actually speak INTO the microphones supplied to them.

Councillors Ingrid Waltham and  Jenny Archibald have the softest voices of all elected members, but they keep the microphone somewhere left or right of a shoulder so I find it very difficult to hear their valuable contributions to the debates.

Other Councillors do have the microphone in front of them but then turn their head away to address the Mayor and that makes the mike rather useless, and it makes my life pretty frustrating when I do my very best to get a proper and fair account of the debate, so I can report it on Freo’s View.

Thank you so much for your consideration Councillors! Should I wish for hearing aids for Christmas?

Roel Loopers