Scope

Sonic HealthPlus was awarded the Health Services Contract for the largest LNG construction site in Australia on Curtis Island, QLD.   This contract required the provision of remote and expeditionary medical services including: 

  • 24/7 onsite medical centre staffed by personnel including specialist practitioners, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, paramedics and administrative support staff
  • Emergency medicine and acute trauma management
  • Clinical management and treatment of illnesses and injuries
  • Evacuation by aero-medical and paramedic trimarran
  • Health and Wellness programs including toolbox talks, training, get fit
  • Onsite vaccination programs
  • Pharmaceutical and consumables supply and management
  • Management of reportable injuries under OSHA classification guidelines and RTWC duties weekends and after hours
  • Complete project management of medical centre and staff.

Challenges

  • Project commenced at very short notice and required rapid mobilisation and deployment of staff and equipment
  • Complexity between two regulatory systems and the impact on operational environment was initially underestimated
  • Logistics of landing medical supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals on an island where infrastructure for docking boats and transport was undeveloped. This was further hampered by a complex international approval process for commissioning necessary works
  • Power, water, phone and electricity services were rationed making communications and implementation of clinic services and record keeping complex
  • Isolated operating environment resulted in limited access to site, requiring several hours of travel for staff each day to get to and from the temporary clinic.

Key Learnings

  • Corporate maturity and expertise coupled with a problem solving approach was key to the success of this project
  • An innovative approach to adapting processes and streamlining systems to ensure the continued availability of medical supplies and equipment
  • Recruitment and retention of high quality clinical staff with good communication skills was essential to building relationships and trust in these environments.
  • Highly reliable and effective IT and communications.
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