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The Flying Doctors While driving across the Outback during the past week, I’ve thought a lot about how people here have adapted to this dry and barren environment. It’s apparent in little things that, at first glance, seem a bit odd, such as huge tanks that collect rainwater from the rooftops to use for drinking, telephone poles made out of iron instead of wood, and the 150-foot long Road Trains that I pass on the highways – or even worse, that pass me. But what about services like health care and education? Again, the Outback is a unique area, so it’s no surprise that those resourceful Aussies have developed unique solutions.
Back in 1928, an Australian reverend named John Flynn created The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) to provide free medical services for people living in isolated areas of the Outback. The RFDS still operates (no pun intended) and their planes criss-cross Australia each day performing emergency medical services as well as scheduled clinics. The RFDS serves folks who live in remote cattle stations, roadhouses, and in Aboriginal communities, most of whom are hundred of miles from the nearest hospital. Not only do these doctors make house calls, they often fly over 500 miles in the process. Not even Dominos can top that kind of service.
From a single plane and pilot in 1928, the RFDS has grown to a staff today of about 500, operating 40 planes from 20 bases around Australia, including the base I visited in Alice Springs. Each year, the RFDS flies over 10 million miles and performs about 24,000 aerial evacuations, all at no charge to the patients. It’s a non-profit organization that operates almost solely on private donations, which explains the numerous signs I had seen during the past few weeks in small towns announcing RFDS benefit raffles and dances. Australians are quite proud of the RFDS and rightly so. More information on the Royal Flying Doctor Service is available at www.flyingdoctor.org.au.
By the way, while I was in the RFDS gift shop, I spotted a cute stuffed bear wearing goggles and a leather RFDS flight jacket. “Waldo” (whom I named after Robert Redford's fearless pilot character, Waldo Pepper, in the 1975 movie) is now propped up on the Camry’s back seat and greets everyone who passes by with a furry wave.
Above left: Our nurse-guide describing the RFDS. Above right: And here's the Operations Center.
Above left: The small but interesting RFDS museum. Above right: Waldo, my back-seat driver.
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