But for a few moments the country was anything but paradise for me, as I swum while bleeding, surrounded by sharks.

Arriving from Melbourne, my two-week trip was meant to be spent sipping from a coconut and relaxing on the beach.

I was staying on the Coral Coast at the popular backpackers’ place, Fiji Beachouse. One day, when the weather was a little monsoon-like, I overheard a Canadian backpacker talk about how he’d been trying to go scuba diving with sharks, but the weather was too temperamental.

“It’s one of those scuba diving experiences you just have to do, and apparently one of the best in the world,” I heard him say. “You’re down there with bull and tiger sharks.”

I was intrigued but torn over what I wanted from my trip. I’d recently come back from a gruelling 11-month outing throughout South America. I was in Fiji to relax; the last thing I wanted was to partake in an exhilarating experience. Or was it?

Tommy has scuba dived in Thailand, Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, but his experience in Fiji was very different than most. Picture: Tommy WalkerSource:Supplied

At the prospect of the dive itself, my heart was pounding. I was compelled by the chance to experience a face-to-face encounter with sharks once again. I’d gone shark diving in the Galápagos Islands, but I felt this experience was going to be different.

Beqa Lagoon was the dive spot where we’d see the sharks and other marine life, attracted by professional dive instructors feeding them blocks of tuna dangling from a rope from the surface.

Our instructions were clear: get into the water and descend 18 metres to the coral wall. All divers had to be Open Water certified, and we all had a dive partner.

As we jumped into the lukewarm water, I felt more relaxed. We all deflated our BCD’s (buoyancy control devices) and went under.

Equalising isn’t my strongest quality when scuba diving — that is, pinching the nose while blowing out air to relieve the pressure to your ears.

This was one of the painful times. I was struggling to descend past a few metres, to where my diving partner was waiting. I gave her the signal to go while I waited for the pressure to ease up.

Tommy during a dive in Taganga, Colombia. Picture: Tommy WalkerSource:Supplied

As I worked my way down, slowly — by now the only diver still near the surface — I saw a grey figure in the distance, about 10 metres away, directly in line with me.

After about 10 to 15 seconds, I realised I was in line with a shark.

I looked up in panic, wondering if I could go up to the surface without ear or lung damage. I probably couldn’t. I felt helpless and alone. There was no diver in sight and I was caught in a no-mans-land. Panicking, I decided to equalise harder to quicken my way down.

Blowing out my nose furiously seemed to work at the time. It isn’t something recommended, but I descended and the shark swam swiftly above me.

It looked like a big catfish but I soon realised it was probably an innocent nurse shark. From a distance though, and all alone, it was impossible for me to know that. Nurse sharks aren’t the type you see being dramatised in movies or in the media.

By this point I was playing catch up. I made my way past a shipwreck towards the coral wall, where the other divers had lined up. I was happy I’d overcome my little close encounter and was able to enjoy the experience.

It was exactly the wrong time to suffer a nose bleed. Picture: Tommy WalkerSource:Supplied

For a while things were surreal. I was having one of the best experiences of my life. There were schools of fish in front of the coral wall, like a whirlwind of marine life coming together, dominated by half a dozen bull sharks, all of whom looked breathtakingly beautiful. It was one of those moments that felt like a dream or an animated movie. The colours and the reality of it all were mesmerising. I couldn’t take my eyes off the bull sharks, they were so majestic and free in their movement and presence in the water.

Then I was forced back to reality.

As I cleared my mask, which was getting steamy and impairing my vision, I noticed splashes of dark fluid leaking onto the mask lenses. I thought I might have some murky sea plant water or perhaps some mud stuck, so I cleared it again.

Confused at first, it soon dawned on me that my nose was bleeding and slowly leaking out of my mask, probably due to my intense equalising earlier.

I’d never been more frightened in my life.

I was metres away from sharks and I was bleeding. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I signalled my dive instructor and explained what was happening with all the made-up hand instructions I could possibly muster.

Bull sharks in Fiji. Picture: Tommy WalkerSource:Supplied

I began thinking about stories of sharks smelling blood from miles away. How they’d hunt their prey based on these instincts and sense abilities, and yet here I was, giving them an easy catch: me!

My instructor shrugged off my worries at first but then realised what was happening. There were a few “armed” instructors and feeders close by in case something happened. I felt some sense of security, being close to other divers and behind a coral wall, like we were tucked into a small pocket of the ocean floor.

To make it back to safety, though, we had to move out in the open again, vulnerable to the ocean and what roams in it. Not only that, with my nose dropping blood, I was effectively leaving a blood trail for anything to come up behind me. I was a sitting duck.

Each moment went by slower than the last. At any moment I felt a shark would come up behind me and take its chunk. There were at least six or seven of them lurking there, and with one huge tiger shark in the background, the odds were against me.

They’re not the most reassuring of sights — but sharks are largely misunderstood. Picture: Tommy WalkerSource:Supplied

It was like something out of a David Attenborough documentary. Man versus shark. After frantically sweeping my legs as much as I could, I made it to the surface — but that was the most worrying part. Most shark attacks are taken from the surface, often mistaking people for

seals.

My face was covered in blood, and as I climbed onto the waiting boat, I was relieved.

It soon became apparent that the sharks weren’t interested in me. After we finished the dive, the instructor assured me sharks were only interested in fish blood and my case was evidence of that. The whole time, no shark had changed their behaviour or made a dash towards me.

Sharks do have a bad reputation and are universally misunderstood, but perceptions are slowly changing. In reality, sharks aren’t interested in attacking humans purposely. Whatever you might read, or whatever you might watch, know that sharks are vital to our marine ecosystem, and just like many of us, want to be left alone to get on with their lives.

Tommy Walker is a freelance travel writer and social media micro-influencer from the UK. He has been travelling for more than five years. He also works with Fin Free Melbourne and Fin Fighters UK to help eradicate shark finning.

Follow his travels via his blog, on Facebook and on Instagram.

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How do you helping a choking cat, stem the bleeding on a wounded paw, treat a pet having a seizure, or cool down a dog with heat stroke?

There’s no doubt we love our pets but do you know how to provide them with lifesaving care in an emergency?

How do you helping a choking cat, stem the bleeding on a wounded paw, treat a pet having a seizure, or cool down a dog with heat stroke?

These are some of the crucial lessons being given at a first-of-its-kind pet first aid course in Dumbarton.

Those behind the Vets4Pets training course say the quick actions of owners – before they make it to the vet surgery – could be the difference between life and death for seriously ill or injured cats, dogs and other furry creatures.

The pioneering new course – which will be the first in West Dunbartonshire – will provide owners with important information on dealing with animal emergencies from fractures and bleeding to what to do if your pet is not breathing.

Staff at the surgery, at Pets At Home in St James Retail Park, decided to set up the course as they often deal with a pets which would benefit from animal first aid.

Veterinary nurse Stacey Mooney, who will be teaching the classes alongside colleague and vet Stuart Kerr, said: “Knowing basic first aid for your pet is very helpful and in some cases it could save a pets life.

“Being able to treat your pet quickly and even sometimes doing one or two basic things can make a huge difference and help us get the best outcome for the animal.

“Especially in situations where time is of the essence and just getting that 10 minutes of first aid can really help.

“In some cases, our natural first instincts may not be the best course of action so to have basic facts on what to do is important.”

Due to the growing interest in the first aid course, the practice plans to run a number of classes to ensure as many pet owners as possible can take part, with the first training class set to take place next month.

Staff also plan to run other courses throughout the year, including training in caring for exotic animals.

Stacey added: “This is something we have wanted to launch for some time but we were still surprised to get such a good response from people.

“It is hopefully going to be the first in a series of training activities which will be open to our clients and other pet owners in the area.”

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By Laura Oakley • Jun 1, 2017

Credit: iStock.com

Indoor trampoline parks have popped up across the UK to feed kids’ love of bouncing. Some of us have also bought trampolines for our gardens.

While they provide hours of fun and a good dose of exercise, from time to time accidents may happen.

Staff at indoor trampoline parks are usually trained in first aid. But one study found that trampolining injuries were the biggest cause of exercise-related injuries in the home.*

So get clued up with our top first aid tips for some common bounce-related injuries.

Bumps to the head

What goes up must come down. When lots of children start jumping up and down, there’s always the possibility of bumping heads.

Spot the signs

The child has just banged their head. They may be in pain and have a headache. There may also be a lump on their head.

Know what to do

1)    Ask them to rest and apply something cold to the injury (you could use frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel).

2)    If they become drowsy or vomit, or their condition gets worse, call 999.

Is that a broken bone?

With all those limbs flying freely in the air, they could touch down very awkwardly. This could lead to a broken bone.

Spot the signs

The child is in pain and has bruising or swelling. Their limb may also look out of shape or be bent at an unusual angle.

Know what to do

1)    Support the injury with a cushion or clothing to keep it still.

2)    Go to A&E or call 999 if necessary.

3)    Continue supporting the injury until they get help.

Or a sprain or strain?

It can be difficult to tell the difference between a sprain or strain and a broken bone. If you have any doubts, get medical advice.

Spot the signs

If it’s a sprain or strain, they will have pain, swelling and/or bruising around a joint or muscle. If the injury is at a joint, the child may have difficulty moving a limb.

Know what to do

1)    Get the child to rest.

2)    Apply an ice pack to the injury for up to ten minutes (you could use frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel).

3)    If there is no improvement, seek medical advice.

Nose bleed

If someone misjudges their jump and bumps into someone else, they may well end up with a nosebleed. Our noses are rather delicate, after all.

Spot the signs

This one’s easy – there is blood coming out of their nose!

Know what to do

1)    Get the child to pinch the soft part of their nose and lean forward. This will help the blood to clot and learning forward prevents the person from swallowing blood.

2)    Advise them to pinch the soft part of the nose for ten minutes.

First Aid courses Canberra. Book in to a first aid training session with Canberra First Aid. The best training provider in town. We offer excellent sessions with CPR, asthma, anaphylaxis, choking and bandaging.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – As thousands of people fled tear gas at a recent anti-government protest, a single young woman stood still, protected only by a gas mask and a white helmet with a green cross.

The woman took shelter under a bridge and attended to a person whose right ankle was bloody and injured. She splinted the leg, and then took the man away on a motorcycle.

The rescuer belongs to the “Green Helmets,” a group of about two hundred medical students, dentists and doctors who attend the marches that have been rocking the South American country daily for two months. Protesters applaud the so-called brigadiers as heroes and pose with them for selfies when they arrive at rallies marching in single file, waving a giant white flag and howling military-like cadences. It’s all part of a pre-protest ritual intended to steel the volunteers for another day at the frontline of violent clashes.

In this May 22, 2017 photo, volunteer first responders from the “Green Helmets” move along the sidelines of an opposition protest during clashes with security forces in Caracas, Venezuela. The priority of the group, made up of about two hundred medical students, dentists and doctors, is to attend to injured protesters. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

While the group’s priority is to attend to injured protesters, members are not immune from serious risks themselves.

One Green Helmet volunteer, Paul Moreno, a 24-year-old student in his final year of medical school, was killed in mid-May when he was run over by a vehicle in the western city of Maracaibo while helping the wounded. The death generated sorrow and solidarity with the group and residents changed the name of one of the avenues of Maracaibo to “Paul Moreno Street.”

“It was very hard news to accept because he (Moreno) was on the street helping just like us,” said Julio Sosa, a medical student and member of the relief group.

The group was born during the anti-government demonstrations of 2014 and reactivated in April after a new wave of protests against President Nicolas Maduro kicked off. Green Helmet chapters have sprung up in at least six of the country’s 24 states and students from at least 12 public and private higher education institutions have lent their support.

“When the police get aggressive, they go out to find people among the tear gas and stones, and they save them,” said Patricia Colmenares, a 50-year-old psychiatrist, as she participated in a protest in Caracas.

Government supporters have attacked the first-aid group, which has attended to dozens of injured, as part of a terrorist movement. A prominent presenter on state television called the rescue workers a “paramilitary group” and accused them of creating “false positives” to tarnish the image of Maduro’s government.

Soldiers and police too have been hurt in the demonstrations as protesters hurl back gas grenades or launch rocks, but they are generally cared for by official ambulances.

The volunteer group generally only sends about 30 people at a time to the hottest areas of protests. The rest of the members wait in calmer areas far from where rocks and tear gas are flying to attend to the most seriously injured in small tents or inside ambulances.

The group’s director, Daniella Liendo, a 22-year-old medical student, said that all volunteers receive advanced first-aid training.

She added that unlike 2014, the group now has numerous specialists in trauma, pediatrics, anesthesiology, gynecology, dentistry and even psychiatry, who reinforce the work of the rest of the members. The specialists have had their hands full with head trauma cases recently.

The Venezuelan health sector has been hit by shortages of more than 90 percent of imported drugs and medical supplies. But Liendo says that thanks to donations, the Green Helmets have so far been able to operate with all the supplies they need. In recent weeks it has become common to find donation boxes for the group in housing developments, churches, public squares and on the streets.

Fabiola Sánchez is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fisanchezn

FILE – In this May 30, 2017 file photo, a homeless person is carried to safety by volunteer first responders from the “Green Helmets” after he was overcome by tear gas in no-man’s-land, during anti-government protests in Caracas, Venezuela. The group’s director, Daniella Liendo, a 22-year-old medical student, said that all volunteers receive advanced first-aid training, and that the group’s specialists have had their hands full with head trauma cases recently. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)

In this May 22, 2017 photo, volunteer first responders from the “Green Helmets” move along the sidelines of an anti-government protest to attend to injured demonstrators during clashes with security forces in Caracas, Venezuela. Green Helmet chapters have sprung up in at least six of the country’s 24 states and at least 12 public and private higher education institutions have lent their support to the initiative. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

In this May 22, 2017 photo, a volunteer first responder from the “Green Helmets” sprays a protester’s eyes to alleviate the affects of tear gas, on the sidelines of an anti-government protest during clashes with security forces in Caracas, Venezuela. Government supporters have attacked the first-aid group, which has attended to dozens of injured, as part of a terrorist movement. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

FILE – In this May 3, 2017 file photo, volunteer first responders from the “Green Helmets” treat an injured protester during clashes with security forces blocking an anti-government march from reaching the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela. A prominent presenter on state television called the rescue workers a “paramilitary group” and accused them of creating “false positives” to tarnish the image of Maduro’s government. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)

In this May 22, 2017 photo, volunteer first responders from the “Green Helmets” move along the sidelines of an opposition protest to attend to injured demonstrators during clashes with security forces in Caracas, Venezuela. The Venezuelan health sector has been hit by shortages of more than 90 percent of imported drugs and medical supplies, but due to donations, the Green Helmets have so far been able to operate with all the supplies they need. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

FILE – In this May 10, 2017 file photo, volunteer first responders from the “Green Helmets” tend to an anti-government protester hit by a tear gas canister fired by Bolivarian National Guards during an opposition march in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday. The group of volunteer medical personnel was born during the anti-government demonstrations of 2014 and reactivated in April after a new wave of protests against President Nicolas Maduro kicked off. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)

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In this May 22, 2017 photo, volunteer first responders from the “Green Helmets” stand on the sidelines of an anti-government protest to attend to injured demonstrators during clashes with security forces in Caracas, Venezuela. The volunteer group generally only sends about 30 people at a time to the hottest areas of protests. The rest of the members wait in calmer areas far from where rocks and tear gas are flying to attend to the most seriously injured in small tents or inside ambulances. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-4563190/First-aid-volunteers-risk-lives-Venezuela-protests.html#ixzz4inUBHSLp
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An 11-year-old girl used first aid skills she learned at school to save her dad from needing surgery after he was severely scalded.

Michael Roscoe injured himself with a pan of boiling water while cooking at their Linthorpe home.

But luckily for him daughter Ruby was on hand to deliver instant first aid help.

She calmly told her dad to remove his clothing and instructed him to keep his arm under cold water to cool the burn and relieve the pain.

Michael received treatment for his injuries at Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital.

He was told that Ruby’s quick-thinking actions had saved him from needing skin grafts.

Ruby learned vital first aid from St John’s Ambulance Service at St Edward’s Primary School, Linthorpe, and won praise for her actions.

Mum Tracey Annandale, said: ‘We’re so proud of Ruby. She had learned some first aid at school with St John Ambulance but not only did she know what to do, she kept calm and dealt with the situation very confidently.

“Her quick-thinking saved her dad from needing much more treatment and from possibly scarring.”

Ruby’s headteacher Mary Brown added: “We believe that teaching our students first aid is incredibly important.

“Not only does it give them the skills and understanding of how to best respond to an emergency with the right first aid skills but it also gives them the confidence to do the right thing when it really counts.

“By having people with the right first aid skills and who are confident to use them, we may just save a life or prevent further harm.”

Ruby’s first aid training at the school was delivered by St John’s Ambulance and funded by the Lt Colonel NL Cohen Charitable Trust.

The organisation funds projects in Teesside and has worked with the charity to provide a first aid education programme in more than 50 schools a year across the region.

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Investigators have found that 3.6 percent of people had a documented food allergy, with highest rates among females and Asians

Date:

May 31, 2017

Source:

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Summary:

In a new study, investigators combed through medical records from more than 2.7 million patients, identifying more than 97,000 with one or more documented food allergy or intolerance.

Anecdotal evidence of food allergies abounds, but just how common are these allergies and intolerances? In a new study, investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital combed through medical records from more than 2.7 million patients, identifying more than 97,000 with one or more documented food allergy or intolerance. Their findings are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Older people are the group most likely to need cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but they are the least likely to have training in the life-saving technique, according to new findings.

“This mismatch may translate into lives lost, because if someone collapses at home who is 65 years old and their 62-year-old spouse does not know CPR, they have to wait for the ambulance to arrive and it may be too late,” said Dr. Benjamin S. Abella, who directs the Center for Resuscitation Science at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “We need to be more creative about our approach to CPR training in this population.”

Receiving prompt CPR from a bystander more than doubles a person’s chances of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest, but fewer than one-third of sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR, Abella and his team noted in a report in the Journal of the American Heart Association. To better understand low rates of bystander CPR, Abella and his colleagues surveyed a nationally representative sample of about 9,000 U.S. adults on their CPR training status.

Just 18 percent had current training in CPR, while 65 percent said they had received training in the past. The older a study participant was, the less likely he or she was to have current CPR training, or to have ever received CPR training. People with a graduate school education or higher were more than three times as likely have current CPR training. However, lower education and lower household income were both associated with not having received CPR training.

Traditionally, people get certified to perform CPR by attending classes sponsored by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross, often at universities, schools or hospitals. CPR certification is time-consuming, and can be expensive, Abella told Reuters Health in a telephone interview.

“There’s an important mantra in resuscitation, which is ‘something is better than nothing,’” he added. New ways to teach CPR, he suggested, might be through training offered by video at places where people are going to be waiting anyhow, like the department of motor vehicles, the airport, or the doctor’s office.

“Breaking outside of the classroom and the traditional model of CPR training is going to be important,” Abella said. “There are many locations where we can bring CPR to the public, as opposed to asking the public to come find ways to learn CPR.”

More information about CPR training in the U.S. or worldwide is available from the American Heart Association, here: bit.ly/19Wb4pT.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2qwWxu2 The Journal of the American Heart Association, online May 17, 2017.

First Aid Training Canberra. An interesting article on the benefits of not drinking for the wallet. But remember there are many benefits health wise also.

Kate Robertson

Published: May 30 2017 – 7:07AM

When I was forced to quit alcohol because of long-term medication, I was not very impressed.

Neither, honestly, was anyone else. Very few people were not surprised, uncomfortable, or occasionally argumentative – I definitely heard “just the one will be fine!” more than once. But I did not really have a choice.

After a few dry months, I realised there was a benefit I hadn’t considered – I had a lot more money.

I knew I would save calories when I stopped drinking, but I had not really thought about saving money. I regularly read (and ignore) advice to give up my $3.50 coffee, but cutting back on alcoholic beverages? Surely that’s just un-Australian?

I still went out, just not as often (or for as long). The people I saw the most were supportive about compromises, splitting the tab differently or requesting I bring desserts to dinner instead of wine. I felt more comfortable when I realised I could drink soda and lime in a short glass, and no one would know it didn’t contain vodka. Occasionally I’d buy a mocktail, which, sadly, is never the same.

Drinking is an expected part of life in Australia, and we consume a lot of it. The Bureau of Statistics estimates Australians drank more than 1.74 billion litres of beer and 543 million litres of wine in 2014. In 2012 Australians spent $14.1 billion on alcohol, meaning the average spend for a single person under 35 was $24 a week or $1248 a year. Given that’s averaged across the whole population and more than one in five people do not drink at all, it means the typical drinker is spending far more.

Let’s say in a typical week you buy two $15 bottles of wine for home, and spend $50 on Friday nights after work. If you go out for a meal, you might spend another $40 for a cocktail and half a bottle of wine. Every two months you have one big night out and spend $150. That’s $7140 in a year. Then think about how much that might skew for celebrations and holidays.

Natasha Janssens, founder of financial education business Women with Cents, says “when it comes to saving, most of us make the common mistake of looking for one big ticket item we are spending our money on.

“The reality for most, however, is that we underestimate how much all our little expenses add up.”

It is obviously easy to lose track of money spent on alcohol, especially with late nights or bar tabs. It is just as easy to forget about that one quick $8 beer after work, or picking up a $20 six-pack of cider on the way to a friend’s house. Janssens says it’s a common trap to try to make a mental note of spending but it doesn’t work, because people always under-estimate.

Personal wealth coach Lisa Barber estimates nine out of 10 clients don’t know their cost of living and where all their money goes, and says alcohol is a big part of that. Barber has advised a client who spent just over $2000 in a year on alcohol, as well as a couple who enjoyed premium wines and spent over $14,000 annually. She has found that tracking this spending “often leads to a change in their lifestyle choices”.

In one year of not drinking, I saved about $4000. This is not including the terrible food I used to order at the end of the night and the next morning to combat the hangover. It took me more than three months to realise why I had this leftover cash, so I really wasn’t tracking my spending very well. This made me more aware of my finances and a more active saver overall.

I might not have made the choice to stop drinking, but at least I know it’s an enforced saving plan.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/content/adaptive/smh/money/saving/giving-up-drinking-saved-me-4000-a-year-20170528-gwez3y.html

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The 25-metre “Heart Bus” he conceived, built and remortgaged the family home to help pay for, is proof of that.

But when the Queensland Government refused to support a funding proposal for his cardiology ‘clinic on wheels’ long-term — saying public programs were better value for money — it felt like a body blow.

“When Rolf was knocked back by the State Government, it was basically just a kick in the guts, really,” Gomes’ wife, Kylie, tells ABC’s Australian Story tonight.

“Rejection for some people is debilitating [but] for Rolf it has the opposite effect.”

Eighteen months into a pilot program he knew was saving lives, Dr Gomes kept looking for a way to keep his heart bus dream alive.

“It did take the wind out of my sails,” says Gomes.

“A big part of your vision has just been eliminated. But you never know what’s around the corner.”

Salvation came two days before Christmas, 2016, in the form of a million-dollar mystery donor with heart, keen to deliver on the dream of a dead man.

The family told him their late father loved the bush, and knew that at the heart of every bush community was the doctor.

“Their father had also wanted to try to get doctors to the bush, and spent years trying to create a program with the government, but hit brick walls,” Dr Gomes says.

He ran out of time, passing away before he could do it.

“You never know what’s around the corner,” says Dr Gomes. Picture: ABCSource:ABC

“They said ‘we’d like to support you, how does a million toward building the second clinic sound?’” Dr Gomes says.

“I said that sounded pretty good.”

“Not every day does someone offer you a million to build your dream. Like the phoenix … we’ve risen from the ashes.”

TELL HIM HE’S DREAMING

Dr Gomes came to Australia as a child, his parents bringing the family from Calcutta after the death of their oldest son.

“My dad stepped off a plane with $200, four suitcases and four children to come to a country so his kids could have a better life,” Dr Gomes tells Australian Story.

All his parents wanted was for Rolf to do well at school. He duly delivered.

He worked as an electrical engineer, realised he liked “people more than computers” and studied medicine.

A career in cardiology beckoned, and stints working in the bush during his residency saw him frustrated by the limitations and difficulties which meant he couldn’t do as much medically for country people as he could in the city.

The Heart Bus rolls into town. Picture: ABCSource:ABC

When a man injured in a quad bike accident refused X-rays because “I just can’t travel”, Dr Gomes put him in a neck collar, sent him home, and wondered during the night “is this guy going to be able to move his legs in the morning?”

The first seeds of a plan to take specialist services to the bush were sewn.

“Heart disease is still the biggest killer,” he says.

“If you live in the bush away from the city centre you actually have a 44 percent greater chance of dying of heart disease.

“You can’t look at a situation like that and say the way to address that is to maintain the status quo.

“You do something like this because there has got to be a passion for doing something worthwhile. Giving something back to the country which had given me everything.”

Many admired the plan, the drive and the vision. Others told him he was dreaming.

He needed $1 million to set up the bus, another $1 million a year to run the program.

THE HEART BUS

The Heart Bus launched in 2014. By that time Dr Gomes had written countless letters, hit up everyone from the Federal Government down, secured some corporate supporters and sponsorships, and put his own “skin in the game”, remortgaging his family home to the tune of $800,000

“I was in a funny way unencumbered by wealth and reputation. For me the only way was up,” he says.

The bus is fitted with all the specialist equipment of a city practice, and covers 8000 kilometres of outback Queensland a month, visiting 12 regional towns.

In the first six months of operation, Dr Gomes sent nine people off for lifesaving open heart surgery.

It’s now seen about 3000 patients. The drive to Winton might take 15 hours. Patients will drive another couple of hours to meet it.

Ironically, the Queensland State Government which put a one-off $250,000 into the clinic, but won’t fund its expansion long-term.

The million-dollar mystery donation means a second mobile clinic will launch in 2018, with the plan to expand the specialist services beyond cardiology.

“The truth is the program is going to stay one way or another. It; ’s going to get bigger. It’s going to get more expansive, and it can’t be ignored,” Dr Gomes says.

“I do what I do because I really like doing it. I don’t know what people look to achieve in their lives, but if I achieve nothing else, this would perhaps be enough.”

Australian Story: The Beat Goes On airs Monday at 8pm on ABC and ABC iview

Locals can travel for hours to get to the bus. Picture: ABCSource:ABC