Rochester and Elmore District Health Service has teamed up with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to provide a free transport service that aims to overcome the distance and isolation some residents face when it comes to accessing vital services.
After a successful trial run in Heathcote, REDHS chief executive Karen Laing said Rochester was identified as another area in need of the service.
“There are a lot of people who have had to miss appointments because we do have a lack of transport if they don't live close to town,” she said.
“We saw how amazingly successful this project was in Heathcote and we are thankful we will soon have this service in Rochester.
“We've been working on this for close to six months and we can't wait to get it up and running for our residents.”
While some other services in surrounding towns have a longer list of uses, the cars in Rochester will be solely for medical purposes.
“If there is someone who has to go to Echuca for a specialist appointment or Bendigo for a physiotherapy appointment, or even if you live out of town and need to come in to REDHS, this service will be there to help,” Ms Laing said.
In preparation for the service’s launch, RFDS Victoria and REDHS are seeking your input and have compiled a short survey to help understand how the service can best suit the needs of the Rochester community.
“We need to compile the information so we can determine how big the service will be, what routes the vehicles might take and how many days the service will be available for,” she said.
It will also be a chance for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer driver to put their hand up.
“The RFDS will provide great training and uniforms for anyone who would like to help with this project,” Ms Laing said.
“We really value volunteers in our community and we would love to see more through this project.”
If you would like to take part in the survey or volunteer to be a driver, go to surveymonkey.com/r/NBQTZD7
You can also call REDHS on 5484 4400 for more information.
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