Across Central Australian towns and communities, 23 per cent of all nursing roles are currently sitting vacant, while almost half of the mental health-related positions in the area are unfilled.
The shocking statistics were revealed as Northern Territory Health Department staff continued to give evidence to the coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker, who died after he was shot by a police officer in 2019.
Constable Zachary Rolfe has since been acquitted of all charges relating to Mr Walker's death.
On Thursday, regional executive director for NT Health (Central Australia Region) Naomi Heinrich told the coroner there were "significant" struggles in attracting and retaining staff in the region.
"In Central Australia itself, we have a nursing vacancy rate of 23 per cent," she said.
"In primary health care, we have a vacancy rate of 27 per cent, in mental health, unfortunately, a vacancy rate of 42 per cent and, in acute care services, 20 per cent."
The coroner also heard that "unflattering media attention" about dysfunction in Yuendumu had made it "almost impossible" to attract staff to the community.
"It is hot, dry, there are limited services available for people in those communities," Ms Heinrich said.
"It is challenging for people to relocate with their families to those communities in terms of service availability.
"There is anecdotal feedback around those challenges that these are not comfortable communities, necessarily, to work within.
"We've worked very carefully to ensure a good representation of what life is like working in those communities, to try [to] attract people."
As an example, Ms Heinrich said, funding for a psychologist across Yuendumu and three other remote communities had been approved, but the department had so far been unable to fill the role.
Current Yuendumu-based general practitioner Amy Rosser told the coroner that sufficient staffing and opportunities to build "meaningful relationships" in the community would encourage health staff to stay.
"If you're exhausted and on-call every second night, then you're not going to stay as long, because you'll get burned out," she said.
"I think ensuring adequate staffing numbers is one of the most-important things to ongoing retention of staff, but also allowing enough staff that people can have weekends off and [can] go into Alice Springs and have some time out."
Fighting spills into clinic grounds, witnesses say
Dr Rosser and nurse Sally Halton — who is the manager of the Yuendumu clinic — told the inquest that neither they, nor their current colleagues, had ever felt unsafe in the community, despite ongoing "riots and break-ins".
"I think it's important to note that it's targeted at two factions against each other. So, it's not targeted against us or other people who aren't a part of either of the factions," Dr Rosser said.
However, the coroner was told, the fighting — with "serious weapons" — had, at times, spilled onto clinic grounds and forced staff to close the doors.
"I don't want them fighting in the clinic but, also, we've already got people in the clinic," Ms Halton said.
"When they start coming in with their head injuries and their lacerations, we just let them in.
"[Patients have] broken limbs, some serious head wounds from axes and boomerangs, bruising, stab wounds."
Dr Rosser — who has worked in Yuendumu for seven years — told the coroner that she had noticed an increase in property crime during her time in the community, as well as a reduction in the number of activities made available for young people.
"They used to do a lot of movie nights and things like that. That kept kids occupied," Dr Rosser said.
"I think boredom is a big factor."
Since December 2020, 24-hour security guards have been employed by NT Health to cover the clinic and staff housing in Yuendumu.
Nurses 'insulated'
Throughout the week of evidence from various health witnesses, the coroner has been told that nursing staff at the Yuendumu clinic traditionally kept to themselves and found there were limited opportunities for socialisation in the community.
High, opaque fencing around the nurses' homes was flagged as a literal barrier to integration, "cutting off" the nurses from the rest of Yuendumu.
"Before … we had little, chain-link fences, and that was actually quite social," Dr Rosser said.
"Like, if you're walking … in that cluster of houses, we had milk crates at the corners, and we used to jump over each other's fences and all hang out together.
"If people feel a part of community, they will be happy to stay longer."
Ms Heinrich agreed with suggestions from Counsel Assisting the Coroner Peggy Dwyer that a social hub or cafe at a community pool would provide opportunities for socialisation.
The inquest will continue on Friday.
