Medical Chests
In 1939, Dr Keith Sweetman identified that a lot of radio time was being wasted by questioning the outposts as to what was available in their first aid kits. The majority had haphazard collections of patient medicines, "a first aid set augmented by this and that."
In 1942 the annual Federal Council meeting decided on standardisation of the medicine chests and their contents and then in 1989, the RFDS took total responsibility for administering the medical chests.
RFDS medical chests contain a range of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical items, which enable the emergency and non-emergency treatment of people living and working in remote areas.
When consulting remotely the chests are an important tool which enables medical officers to treat patients from a distance for many general and acute conditions. The chests provide enormous comfort to those living in the outback, particularly in an emergency situation.
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Dr. Stephen Langford's medical chest