Australia's flying doctors service turns 90

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A unique and vital Australian organization is celebrating a milestone this year. The Royal Flying Doctors Service has been providing essential medical care to people living in some of the country’s most isolated places for 90 years.

"Australia is so vast, especially the northern and western part of the country. Healthcare is not hours away but sometimes days away, especially if someone is injured," said pilot Benjamin Wilby.

CGTN joined a crew of nurses, a doctor and a pilot from Cairns in Far North Queensland on a flight to the rural town of Pentland in northwestern Queensland. They held a day-long healthcare clinic for about a dozen of the town’s roughly 200 residents in a remote inland part of the state.

The Royal Flying Doctors Service clinic in Pentland, Queensland, Australia /CGTN Photo

"If we didn’t come to these places, most people would have to drive long distances or fly to get the care that everyone can get, like everyone in the city can get on every corner," said senior primary healthcare nurse Melanie Dunstan.

The Royal Flying Doctors Service provides a wide range of services including emergency medicine, prenatal and pediatric care, mental health and dental checks. To this day, one of the most appreciated services offered was a chance to share a story and a smile.

A man pictured smiling at the Royal Flying Doctors Service clinic /CGTN Photo

"You don't see many different people in a small town like this," said Pentland resident Allan Taylor. "You see someone different or from somewhere else and get someone different to talk to. Their sense of humor is a bit different from the people you see every day, so it is great."

The Royal Flying Doctors Service medical officer Mick Bala (R) /CGTN Photo

For the crew, the lure of working in a more settled and possibly lucrative environment isn't enough to replace the benefits from such a unique experience.

"I think there is nothing else I'd rather do career-wise. The opportunity to have a range of patients from critical emergencies to critical care and to travel all around north Queensland – I couldn't imagine doing something I'd enjoy more," said medical officer Mick Bala.

(Top image: The Royal Flying Doctors Service hanger in Cairns, Australia /CGTN Photo)