19 March 2025
Ayers Rock Resort, Uluru is home to a brand new X-ray machine on National Close the Gap Day, saving an arduous 467km journey to Alice Springs for remote Indigenous community members.
Funded by the Anangu Communities Foundation in partnership with Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, the installation of the new X-ray machine aims to improve health outcomes for Anangu - the Traditional Owners of the region that includes Uluru, Mutitjulu, Imanpa and Kaltukatjara (Docker River) - by allowing them to remain on Country for longer.
Providing healthcare on Country improves school attendance and reduces interruption to employment because of the reduced need to evacuate to Alice Springs for an adequate diagnosis. Improved equipment means a diagnosis can be made faster and treatment can commence earlier.
Already the installation of the new X-ray machine has enabled two people to be treated locally without the need to travel to Alice Springs.
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Medical Director Sam Heard says: "Yulara is a developing service providing high level care for residents, visitors, and people with health problems from our surrounding communities. This generous donation from the Anangu Communities Foundation has allowed us to upgrade the Congress X-ray machine to a state-of-the-art machine, providing a major boost to our ability to manage injuries and illnesses locally.
The quality of the images and the way they appear almost instantly allow us to make decisions very quickly and send the images on to the hospital for viewing and reporting. We are very grateful for the addition of this X-ray machine with support from Voyages and Siemens."
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia CEO Matt Cameron-Smith says: "All projects supported by the Anangu Communities Foundation are discussed and developed with community to ensure they will deliver real benefits in the areas of health, education, and social and economic participation. We're grateful to play a meaningful role in the continued empowerment of Anangu, ensuring one of the world's oldest living cultures continues to thrive."
The installation of the new machine, as well as staffing and ongoing training, is overseen by Congress. Congress is the main healthcare provider for Mutitjulu, Kaltukatjara (Docker River), and Imanpa, as well as operating the clinic at Ayers Rock Resort (Yulara). As the largest Aboriginal commuity-controlled health organisation in the Northern Territory, the organisation provides comprehensive, holistic, and culturally appropriate primary healthcare to Aboriginal people living throughout Central Australia.
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia administers the Anangu Communities Foundation which so far has funded over $3m in projects to support Anangu communities of Central Australia.
Other projects supported by the Foundation include a clean drinking water and ice vending machine in the town of Mutitjulu, where temperatures regularly reach 40 degrees, in partnership with Yaru Water, Team Global Express, Hindmarsh Plumbing and Fredbuild Construction. In addition, the Foundation supports the 'Crows on Country' program delivered in partnership with the Adelaide Crows Foundation. The STEM footy program transforms kids' passion for footy into hands-on classroom learning on concepts like speed, velocity, angles and trajectory.
