Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Umber Rind on the opening of the New Leaf Medical Clinic, in Campbellfield in my electorate, where I had the great pleasure of cutting the ribbon, just recently. New Leaf Medical Clinic was established to provide women of Indigenous, migrant and refugee backgrounds a safe, respectful, comfortable and culturally sensitive environment in which to receive all their healthcare needs. Dr Rind has recognised a need to create a space to protect and treat these vulnerable women who have at times been disadvantaged and poorly treated by the healthcare system.

In naming the clinic 'New Leaf', Dr Rind wants to remind these women that that is exactly what they are doing with their health care and their decision to call Australia home—they are turning over a new leaf. This safe and aesthetically appealing one-stop-shop health practice includes GP services, podiatry and physiotherapy, and includes break-out rooms for the women to nurse children and to generally unwind. Soon there will be a psychologist on board to assist refugees with mental health needs that have arisen from the trauma of their experiences. Dr Rind says, 'Being a refugee and coming to a new country can be so daunting, and many times they are faced with overrun and uncomfortable health clinics and doctors who they don't feel comfortable with. These women need a space where they feel comfortable and they know they are safe, no matter what doctor they see.

I congratulate also Dr Mustafa Hussein, Umber's husband, who did most of the work on the day.