Despite its name change, the Lismore Aboriginal Medical Service retains its theme of community members coming together for better health.
Founded in 1998, Gurgun Bulahnggelah – the name means ‘Agree To Walk Together’ and came from the legendary local Elder Fletcher Roberts – is now known as Jullums, as depicted in the painting ‘Four Jullums’ which features on the signboard outside the Uralba Street house, opposite Lismore Base Hospital.
Notes Bundjalung artist Adrian Cameron, who created the striking work, “This painting represents our people from the 'Widjabul Bundjalung' coming together in the form of 'Jullums', they are sitting around the meeting circle talking about individual health problems. The herbs, plants and berries represent the medicines used for wounds and illness.”
The Lismore Aboriginal Medical Service provides medical services for Indigenous patients from the city and surrounding areas, offering cover for five days a week, and a holistic health approach.
Services include Aboriginal Health Education Officers, and a range of contracted allied health practitioners – a dietician, a diabetes educator, a podiatrist, an exercise physiologist, a counsellor, psychologist and psychiatrist. It also runs a respiratory clinic, cardiac clinic and a renal clinic.
Jullums’ doctors are Dr Michael Douglas, Dr Andrew Binns, Dr Carol Stevenson, Dr Ant Solomon and Dr Jane Barker. Two nurses visit Jarjum Child Care Centre in Lismore to engage children with hygiene education. There is a close liaison with Rekindling the Spirit, a local community organisation run by Aboriginal people to benefit Aboriginal families.
