Aboriginal Menu (and Segregation?) in Australia Hospital

Canberra is the capital of equality and fair treatment, right? Well… Here’s the Government’s Canberra Health Services website. Unsurprisingly, they have a page (or ten) dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. They being with the mandatory acknowledgement of the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Ngunnawal people. “All our services are located on Ngunnawal Country”, with the Ngunnawal people having lived here for more than 20,000 years. They’re committed to providing a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal people, and they acknowledge that hospitals aren’t always places Aboriginal people go for healing.

They have a CT scanner with Aboriginal art on it. Apparently this is to help calm Aboriginal people when they get a scan. I’m not joking. “Indigenous artwork eases medical imaging journey”. “Namadgi Sky has been professionally wrapped around the CT scanner so that instead of being surrounded by a clinical white machine, our patients are instead immersed in the imagery of Namadgi Sky in the Brindabellas.” What if I want a clinical white machine? What if I don’t like the artwork? What if I find it distracting? To be clear, I’m not picking on Aboriginal people here. I’m not even suggesting all Aboriginal people agree with this, but why are Canberra Health Services only trying to appease one subset of society?

What if people of Chinese descent wanted some Chinese artwork on their CT scanner? Can the hospital provide that? What about people of Dutch heritage? Do they get a special CT scanner? If not, why not? What about British people? I could go on. Why is it only one subset of Australian society entitled to special artwork on their medical devices?

But it’s not just artwork. It’s menu items! On their Food Services page, of course they provide special meals to Aboriginal people. “Menu for Mob”. They provide “culturally appropriate meals”. The menu includes traditional foods but focuses largely on familiar, comforting dishes shared between many generations of Australian First Nations people.” Kangaroo Stew, okay, I’ll give them that. Barramundi in Sweet Chilli Sauce? I thought Sweet Chilli Sauce originated in Thailand, but I was wrong, it originated in Zhongshan City in China. Either way, I can’t see how this is a traditional Aboriginal meal. I’m not saying Aboriginal people don’t like it, but is it really a dish shared between many generations of Australian First Nations people? Savoury Mince, where do I start? Curried Sausages with Rice? Curry clearly originated in India, and rice is obviously Chinese. And sausages? They came from Mesopotamia. I don’t mean to tease, but Curried Sausages with Rice just doesn’t make any anthropological sense. But the worst part, the menu is only available to people who identify as being Aboriginal. What about Chinese patients who like Barramundi in Sweet Chilli Sauce? This is so discriminatory, but the woke Government in Canberra can’t even see it, or choose not to. If they really wanted to include these menu items for Aboriginal people, couldn’t they have not just included them on the main menu for all to enjoy?

But it gets worse! On their “If you could design a hospital” page dated July this year, they state, “New Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lounge”. There’s pictures of it floating around on the internet. Presumably, only Aboriginal people are allowed to enter. Is this not reminiscent of South Africa 40 or 50 years ago where access to places was determined by one’s ethnicity? Supposedly, the ACT Labor-Greens Government are very progressive. But does this not seem regressive to you? Segregating hospital patients by ethnic background?

Under “Care and birthing options… Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander”, “If you’re Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or pregnant with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child”, you can access special services. Pregnant with an Aboriginal child? I get it, the father could be Aboriginal, while the mother is not, but identifying the baby as Aboriginal before it’s even born? Is there a test for that? My wife is Chinese, but my children identify as Australian. They see themselves as Australian, and my wife sees them as Australian. We certainly didn’t go to the birthing suite and the midwife said, “Oh, your Chinese baby is about to come out.” When my children were born, we weren’t rushed off to the Asian baby room. All the babies born in Australia were considered Australian. My children just happen to have a Chinese mother.

Perhaps I’m being a bit facetious here, but instead of labelling babies “Aboriginal” before they’re even born, wouldn’t it make more sense to label them “Australian” just like the rest of us? What’s the point of all this division?

This segregation going on in Canberra Health Services is not going to help Aboriginal relations. If anything, it’s just pushing us all further apart.

MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn

[gavriloprincip]

FFS ! I voted NO to Racism and Apartheid along with 60+% of Australians.

[janbaker]

Apartheid is alive and well in Canberra. Time for a new team in government.

[bushke]

Racism pure & simple. Not by accident and not for nothing. Division is the goal. Tyrants thrive in a divided society.

[craigwalker]

Thanks for shining a light on the madness which is forever encroaching!!

[HansPickleGruber]

Remove apartheid practices from government

[beebee]

It is a joke, all of it. Worse is it's tax payer funded. The cost of those European dot paintings & special lounge rooms could have paid for more beds or staff instead.

[johnkauppi]

And I thought traditional aboriginal food was KFC and Macca's.

[tbonesfishies]

These indigenous activists are becoming out of control with their wants and demands above all special treatment over all Australians.

[majorlaff]

Welcome to my country. I'd like to acknowledge the early pioneers who came to this country over two hundred years ago and developed an almost uninhabitable land by establishing farms, roads, schools, hospitals, towns and cities, railways, ports and harbours, universities, health clinics, telecommunications, factories and industries, warm (or cool) comfortable homes, shopping centres, a reliable abundant food supply, libraries, clean water, electricity and gas, airlines, the mining industry ... the list goes on. Welcome to my country. The copyright of the above 'Welcome ...' belongs to me. Certain members of the community will be allowed to use it at a fee of $5, 000. White-fellas may use it for free.

When did these people ever build a hospital?

[benlangley]

This is special treatment, not equality. As someone who has spent considerable time in Canberra I will be complaining to ACT Health.

[LloydHill-kp]

Absolutely disgusting, in the last 6 years I have had 5 operations and got served total crap for food in Qld Hospital. I was born in this Country and get treated like the scum of the earth. Get rid of Labor and the LNP because they just follow each other and never change things for the good of Australians.

[BeRobn]

They're all about equality, until it doesn't work in their favour.

[thomasgreatbanks]

As someone who has lived in Canberra, i don't want to live in Canberra anymore.

[stephanietaylor]

Thank you for highlighting this. Apartheid. We voted against it!

[RLstavista]

A wise man once said: Everything woke, turns to shit.

[MAM-qxtk]

If this is true, it is ridiculous. The government should stop dividing Australians.

[nooki]

We were turned away from Bamaga FNQ hospital with a mate who did 20 years defending this country who had a tooth infection that was turning very serious. He had a mouth bleeding black blood and it was very obvious it was serious. The aboriginal receptionist said you need a health care card to go in here lol, , or be aboriginal. My mate lost it and I went off. The whole reception filled with people instantly finding out what's going on and most were on the girls side saying you can't come here. I went outside and after a bit got hold of our local mp and he jumped straight on the phone and ripped into the hospital. Turns out they honestly thought they only served aboriginals so wonder how many white people had been turned away facing critical conditions because its the only hospital for 7 hours unless you can get on a plane.
My 60 year old mate was physically distraught being turned away because he is white and has a full time job in a country he defended in the army for 20 years. That was in 2007. It's only gotten worse

[Invictus]

Curried sausages veggies and rice! I never knew that in the 63 years of my life, I was eating aboriginal food all this time!
And savoury mince, with creamed potatoes, and veggies! Is aboriginal as well!
Wonders will never cease!
I would have expected a fire out on the lawn, with a Skippy, and a couple of goannas on it, and sugarbag for dessert.

[cjcrrazy]

This a rare example where lawyers need to get involved, if your refused a meal/ service etc. based on your race id be taking them to court, do it on mass and they’ll get the picture.

[davidhynd]

It's offensive and divisive. Just like the Voice referendum. The outcome of which has been utterly ignored by our offensive and divisive government.