As winter kicks in – so does the flu, asthma and viral illnesses, including gastro.
So the last thing you want to do is cart the kids into the cold darkness of the night for a trip to hospital – only to be faced with a long wait to see a doctor in the emergency doctor – especially if there is no need to.
But how can you be sure?
One video call on the My Emergency Dr app allows you to speak to a specialist emergency doctor who can assess your child and tell you whether a visit to the hospital is absolutely necessary.
They can even organise a prescription to be sent to your nearest open pharmacy to be picked up at your earliest convenience.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not.
My Emergency Dr has been running the service since 2016 and they’ve helped thousands of people across Australia.
Normally it’s a paid service, but eligible residents in the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network catchment area (Eastern and North Eastern Melbourne) using the service after hours can access it for free until May 2019.
My Emergency Dr, Dr Catherine Kizana said the app was developed by a group of Australian emergency department doctors as a way to improve access to emergency care and alleviate pressure on public hospital emergency departments.
“I think this app is especially good for kids – almost every condition they have is a virus – obviously there are rare times where they are really sick, and most viruses require supportive management for children,” she said.
“And because even when they do go to hospital, doctors often avoid blood tests and needles.
“So what parents would be doing in the waiting room, like giving Hydralyte, they could be doing in the comfort of their own homes.”
Another brilliant thing about the app, according to Dr Kizana, is their ability to assess rashes.
“Nothing strikes fear into a parent more than a rash on their child – everyone fears it might be the meningitis rash,” she said.
“But through the app we can decide whether there is a need to take the child to hospital because we can see what is happening via the video-link and provide a recommended course of action.”
All doctors on the app are specialist emergency doctors.
Please visit the website to see if your suburb qualifies for the free funded service under the Eastern Melbourne PHN initiative. Fees may apply for other users.. www.med.com.au
