Hugh Heggie, General Practitioner
Hugh Heggie
After 20 years as a GP in Victoria, Hugh Heggie moved his family to 300 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs to work with a remote community spread over 15 outstations across 5,000 square kilometres. Other roles in Central Australian and West Arnhem Land communities followed. Now based in Darwin, Hugh flies up to 1,500 kilometres each week managing chronic disease, providing emergency care and diagnostic ultrasound and radiology assistance to patients. He also teaches medical students and supervises remote medical officer placements.
Hugh is passionate about getting doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and health workers to work in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around Australia. They’re the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and Hugh hopes that many more will have the same commitment as him – that they will think about taking a similar journey to him to help make a real, lasting difference.
“Working in a remote Aboriginal community makes me feel like I am really using my skills and doing something very worthwhile and worthy – this had lessened in my previous years as a GP” Hugh says. “Working with and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, around all manner of things, is amazing.
“I have also had the pleasure of teaching and training a lot of medical students and junior doctors and registrars. I have a passion for recruitment and retention. I have had the wonderful satisfaction of medical students coming to Central Australia and then returning again a number of times.”
As passionate as he is about attracting people into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, Hugh is also realistic. “You have to be realistic and truthful with people,” he says. “I always start with – have a great time, even if you don’t want to continue in the sector: because if they have a positive experience – even if it’s only for a short time – they will go away and tell others about it.
“The second thing is I encourage people to just try it and see if it works for them. They will have a wonderful experience in terms of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and have the opportunity to really get to know Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I also encourage medical practitioners in particular not to worry – as many do – about their emergency skill set, because much of what we do is not emergencies. Most of it is around chronic disease and other problems in primary health care, with emergency response being a small part of that. There is lots of support and up-skilling.”
“Finally, I tell people they’ll be part of a team with individual health workers who know the community well, and remote area nurses who bring with them a whole range of skills. Specialists and District Medical Officers are a phone call away, as is the Aeromedical Service.”
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