Diphtheria outbreak: residents of remote NT community say health clinic has no hand sanitiser

• 01More than 240 cases of diphtheria have been reported in Australia since October, primarily in remote Indigenous communities in the NT, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia, according to data from the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
• 02Yuendumu is a community of about 700 people located 300km from Alice Springs.
• 03Eugene Penhall said locals were not told what diphtheria is and that he only learned about the outbreak when he went to the health clinic for another matter, where he was given a vaccine.
• 04Ryan Woods stated there is no hand sanitiser at the clinic and that people wait one hour and then leave because no one is looking to help them.
• 05Julie Watson said people in Yuendumu have been told to wait up to three weeks for diphtheria test results, compared to four days if tested at Alice Springs hospital.
• 06Julie Watson stated people are being told to isolate but are not being told how long to isolate for or what personal protective equipment to use.
• 07The Royal Flying Doctor service has been flying into Yuendumu daily, compared to weekly visits before the outbreak, according to Ryan Woods.
• 08NT Health said the Yuendumu Health Centre remained open and that 'no locals have been refused health services' in a statement.

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The remote Aboriginal community of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory is struggling to manage a diphtheria outbreak, with more than 240 cases reported across Australia since October primarily affecting remote Indigenous communities. Local residents report the health clinic lacks hand sanitiser, has long wait times for test results (up to three weeks), and that residents have received insufficient information about the disease, isolation procedures, or preventive measures. NT Health stated it continues to engage with Aboriginal health organisations and has not refused services, but did not respond to specific claims about hand sanitiser availability or isolation guidance.