For the more than 900 residents in the remote community of Yirrkala, seeking medical care comes at the risk of exposure to asbestos or lead in the water pipes.
In the East Arnhem Land region of the Northern Territory, the small demountable building dedicated to medical care is often overrun with patients, who are regularly treated in the corridors if rooms are unavailable.
Operated by the Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, the clinic has been closed down three times in two years, after contractors drilled into the ceiling tiles, unaware there was asbestos in the material.
The CEO of Miwatj Health, Steve Rossingh, told NITV the closures mean people have gone without necessary care.
"We've had to close the clinic on three occasions for at least a week until those things can be remedied," Mr Rossingh said.
"You've got in East Arnhem Land one of the sickest populations in the country with some of the highest health burdens, and we are not able to see all clients when we need to.
"It erodes confidence moving forward and sets us back."
The building is owned and leased by the NT Government to Miwatj Health.
Mr Rossingh said the asbestos in the roof is just one of the infrastructure issues they are facing.
Over a tap in the main office area, a sign reads "Do not drink", a warning of the lead in the medical facility's water pipes.
Of the seven clinics operated by Miwatj Health in the East Arnhem Land region, Mr Rossingh said at least three are in need of complete demolition and rebuild.
"They were designed by how health care was delivered by governments in the 1980s, and things have changed considerably in the 45 to 50 years [since then]," Mr Rossingh.
Report reveals dire state of Territory's medical facilities
It's a similar story for other Aboriginal controlled health services across the Northern Territory, according to a new report by the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT).
The report highlights the concerning state of aging health clinics and staff housing facilities, which – following decades of underinvestment – are compromising healthcare delivery and driving away skilled health workers.
A survey of all 14 member Aboriginal community controlled health services, which provide primary healthcare to around 90 per cent of the NT’s Aboriginal population, found half of all facilities, including staff housing, require complete replacement.
The report also found 93 per cent lack adequate funding to maintain healthcare facilities and staff accommodation to a "safe and acceptable standard", while 79 per cent are unable to meet patient demand.
AMSANT Chair Rob McPhee said the findings reveal an overwhelming need for urgent investment in health infrastructure to ensure safe, modern facilities across the Territory.
"It is clear that our communities and health workers are carrying too much of the burden," Mr McPhee said.
"Governments must step in with urgent and long-term support to make real progress in health outcomes.”
Pintupi Homelands Health Service in Kintore, the most remote health service 540 kilometres west of Alice Springs, is struggling to fix leaking roofs in the 40-year-old clinic, which the service has outgrown.
The organisation is leasing shipping containers as makeshift public health offices to meet demand – an expense not covered by primary healthcare funding.
“In very remote areas, things are different," CEO Leo Menezes said.
“It’s hard and we are doing the best we can with what we have, but if we had more funding, and funding that is guided by our community needs, we could achieve so much more," he said.
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