Health help now online

An online resource designed to provide health and wellbeing information for the Pilbara community launched last month.

The Health eCrowd initiative was developed by Karratha Central Healthcare in collaboration with the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health with funding from Woodside’s COVID-19 community fund.

It features a website containing health content including expert advice from health professionals and personal stories told by the people of the Pilbara.

KCH chief executive Beverley Menezes said the project was created from a desire to support local communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While the Pilbara and Western Australia as a whole have emerged from the necessary lock-downs of a few months ago, COVID-19 has and continues to have, an impact on us in many ways,” she said.

“We want to contribute to better health and wellbeing from this perspective, and help people to reconnect, learn and celebrate what’s great in our community.”

WACRH Pilbara assistant director and associate professor of rural health Rohan Rasiah said health researchers had been investigating the health and social impacts of COVID-19.

“Consistently, researchers have found that the required physical distancing and other public health measures in place may exacerbate health and social issues, including increased anxiety, psychological distress, feeling isolated from family and friends and impacts on daily routine and function,” he said.

“Health eCrowd has been designed to build on the strengths and resilience of individuals, families and communities during these unprecedented times.”