Category: MIL-OSI

Trigger warning: this story discusses domestic violence.

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In brief:

• Coercive control is when someone uses patterns of abusive behaviour against another person.
• The abuse can be both physical and non-physical.
• If you, or someone you know is experiencing coercive control, you can get help.

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In brief:

• Nip Wijewickrema was awarded Young Canberra Citizen of the Year in 2014.
• Nip is the co-founder of GG’s Flowers, a social enterprise employing people with a disability.
• Nominations for Young Canberra Citizen of the Year close on 30 September 2024.

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In 2014 Nip Wijewickrema was named the Young Canberra Citizen of the Year. The award recognised her work co-founding GG’s Flowers – a social enterprise employing people with disability.

Ten years on from the award, Nip is still changing the world one flower at a time.

“I’m still so passionate about meaningful employment for people with a disability,” she explains.

Nip started the business to support her younger sister Gayana, who has Down Syndrome. She wanted to make sure Gayana would have support in the workplace and a chance to become more independent. Nip has grown GG’s Florist to a successful business spreading colour and joy across Canberra.

“I feel like I have lived a lifetime in the last 10 years,” Nip says.

“When I won the award, I was just freshly 21 and had no idea what the world had in store for me.”

Being named Young Canberra Citizen of the Year gave Nip a helping hand at an important time.

“Having the honour of being a Young Canberra Citizen was life affirming and really helped me on the journey to chase the stars in social enterprise land,” she explains.

“Social entrepreneurs often don’t have a long shelf life. It’s a hard industry and almost impossible to remain profitable and viable as the years go on. Being able to fly that flag for 10 years is truly so wonderful.”

So, 10 years on what does life look like?

“I’m still working at GG’s Flowers, helping the team send beautiful flowers and gift hampers and create innovative NDIS disability support,” Nip says.

“I’m wearing the same pink uniform and having a blast doing so! I can proudly say I still absolutely adore my job and love getting up every morning with purpose.”

Each year the Young Canberra Citizen of the Year recognises an outstanding individual aged 12 to 25 who is:

* is an exceptional role model

* has championed youth issues

* has significantly contributed to the ACT.

Nip has words of advice to offer anyone thinking of nominating an outstanding young person this year.

“I truly believe in acknowledging our unsung heroes to help them create good in our community. I know no one does good things for recognition, but if the recognition can help you do better and create social good – then go for it!”

Nominations for Young Canberra Citizen of the Year are open to 30 September 2024. Find out more or make a nomination.

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In brief

• Respiratory illnesses are common in winter and leading into spring.
• Vaccination and talking to your doctor are important steps in keeping well.
• Staying home when sick and exercising good hygiene are also key to looking after yourself and the community.

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Spring is in sight but there is still plenty of respiratory illness around.

Throughout winter, many unwell Canberrans have presented to doctors with influenza, whooping cough and COVID-19 symptoms.

Dr Melanie Dorrington, the ACT Chief GP and Primary Care Advisor, says there has been a high number of influenza cases in the ACT and right across Australia this year.

She is keen to remove the perception that some of these illnesses are not that serious.

“It’s important to know that these illnesses are more than just colds”, she said.

“Influenza and COVID, for example, are both highly contagious viruses that can affect people of all ages. These illnesses can affect everyone differently and people with health conditions and older people are at higher risk of severe illness.

“There are actions people can take to help keep well while also protecting others in the community”.

It’s not too late to vaccinate

Vaccination offers the best protection against serious illness It also helps protect the more vulnerable in the community. This includes babies too young to be vaccinated and others who can’t be vaccinated.

If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, it’s not too late to do so.

“It generally takes two weeks following vaccination to be protected,” Dr Mel said.

“Given that these illnesses still hang around throughout spring, if you haven’t been vaccinated for influenza this year or had a COVID-19 vaccination, if you’re eligible, then now is the time.

“You should talk to your GP or pharmacist about which vaccines are recommended and funded for you as it can depend on your age, health risks, and other individual circumstances.”

Simple steps to stay well

If you’re at higher risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses, it’s important to speak to your healthcare team before you become unwell.

Things to ask your GP:

• If I become unwell, what kind of tests should I have?
• Do I need a PCR pathology request form? If so, how can I get one?
• Am I eligible to take COVID or influenza antiviral treatments? If so, how can I access them early in my illness?

There are actions you can take to protect yourself and others.

“Stay home if you are unwell and don’t send your children to school or daycare if they are sick. Practise good hand and respiratory hygiene and look after your physical and mental health,” Dr Mel said.

Find more information on how to be well this winter.

Dr Melanie Dorrington

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In brief:

• Canberra Hospital’s new Critical Services Building (Building 5) opened on Saturday, 17 August 2024.
• This includes the new Emergency Department (ED).
• If you need to attend the ED, please go straight to Building 5.

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Canberra Hospital’s new Critical Services Building opened on Saturday, 17 August 2024. It is called Building 5.

Many of the critical care services located across the hospital can now be found in Building 5.

Services that have moved to Building 5

Building 5 now houses:

• the main entry and reception
• the emergency department
• operating theatres and day of surgery admission
• the Sterilising Services Unit
• the intensive care unit
• cardiac catheterisation laboratories
• several inpatient wards, including Acute Cardiac Care Unit, Acute Medical Unit, Emergency General Surgery and Trauma, Neurosurgery and Oral Maxillofacial and Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
• medical imaging
• the helideck.

The new Emergency Department

The new Emergency Department (ED) in Building 5 opened on Saturday, 17 August.

The ED in Building 12 has now closed.

If you need to go to the ED

If you need to attend the ED, please go straight to Building 5.

There is a separate entrance to the ED on the southern side of Hospital Road, off Bateson Road.

You can also drop off and pick up at the entrance.

The closest parking is in the southern multi-storey car park on Bateson Road. This is less than 300m away.

Signs across the hospital will help you find you way around.

Operating theatres and other services

Perioperative services, including operating theatres, have begun in Building 5.

This includes both emergency and elective procedures.

The move to Building 5

The move into the new building took place in one day.

This included relocating around 160 patients in several inpatient wards.

Staff will also move over 3,000 items to the new building – from IV poles to wheelchairs.

Around 3,000 staff have received training to work in the new building.

Find more information on Building 5 at the Canberra Health Services website.

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When Canberra Hospital’s new, larger Emergency Department (ED) opens this month, it will include a dedicated emergency area for children.

This special unit’s design has children and families front of mind.

There, children, families and carers can stay together in an area separate to the rest of the ED.

This will help meet patients’ medical and psychosocial needs, as well as those of their families and carers.

The children’s emergency area will have a separate triage and waiting area.

In addition, an interactive display and access to an outdoor play courtyard will offer kids a welcoming, positive environment while they wait for treatment.

Treatment rooms will be equipped with distraction therapies. There will also be a sensory room – a calming, reassuring space for neurodiverse patients and those with other special needs.

“The emergency department can be an overwhelming place for paediatric patients,” Alison, an Emergency Department nurse, said.

“Having such welcoming space and activities to do while waiting will make a big difference for them,” she said.

The ED is planned to move to the new Critical Services Building – Building 5 at Canberra Hospital – on 17 August.

Find out more at Built for CBR.

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The 2024 ACT Book of the Year has been awarded to Chris Hammer’s gripping crime thriller, The Seven.

Chris will receive $10,000 as the author of the 2024 ACT Book of the Year.

Chris is no stranger to the award – his non-fiction book The River was named ACT Book of the Year in 2011.

2024 ACT Book of the Year finalists

The ACT Book of the Year Award showcases the excellence of local authors.

This year’s judges also awarded two highly commended and three shortlisted works.

These include a diverse range of genres: crime fiction, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, and children’s historic fiction.

Highly Commended

• Untethered by Ayesha Inoon
• The Measure of Sorrow: Stories by J. Ashley-Smith

Shortlisted

• Sleeplessness by Paul Hetherington
• Tiwi Story: Turning history downside up by Mavis Kerinaiua and Laura Rademaker
• The Great Gallipoli Escape by Jackie French.

You can purchase all these in bookstores across the city.

They are also available to loan from ACT Libraries.

The Seven

The judging panel included Helen Ennis, T.R. Napper and Barrina South. They had a tough time choosing the winning title, given the wealth of talent in Canberra’s writing community.

Of The Seven, they said: “Chris Hammer demonstrates total mastery of the crime genre. From the first pages onwards Hammer creates a thrilling narrative filled with suspense that immerses the reader in gripping, page-turning intrigue.

“Hammer conveys a beautiful sense of place in developing this quintessential Australian story, filled with compelling characters, who are poignantly reflective about their own lives. The narrative, exposing the power of the landed aristocracy in a fictional country town, is skilfully controlled so that the reader is never certain where they will be taken next, until the final resolution. The town itself functions as a powerful metaphor which, with its art deco façade, is an evocative setting for this world-class crime novel.”

Visit the artsACT website for more information.

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