Year 12 student Tyla Kurjan is getting an insight into the provision of health services in the bush this week as she completes work experience with Frontier Services Savannah Regional Health Service.

Tyla is from Georgetown and attends boarding school at All Souls St Gabriel’s School in Charters Towers. She plans to go to university to study nursing next year and is taking the opportunity to get a close-up look at what happens day to day at the Savannah Regional Health Service.

“I didn’t realise there were so many different aspects to the services they are providing,” said Tyla. Already this week, Tyla has attended an outreach nursing clinic in Mt Surprise and a community day at the Lynd Junction with Frontier Services Rural Family Support Service.

“Out here it is not just about physical health. A lot of what they do also relates to mental health and preventing sickness. Yesterday I was helping a lady who had an operation to pick up her groceries.”

“It is great to see the different sides of health service provision and know the different pathways that are available.”

One of the projects Tyla has been working on is a recipe book for boarding school students to help them come up with easy ways to prepare healthy meals.

“The food choices at boarding school can be limited, so it’s good to know you can make something in the dorm to ensure you are eating something and it’s healthy.”

The book will be used for students who attend the MoveY program run by the Savannah Regional Health Service each year to help prepare young people from the bush who are heading off to boarding school.

Tyla would like to work in emergency health services and one day travel with her nursing to developing countries to offer her skills to people in poverty. For now, she is enjoying learning about health services in her own community.