GILGANDRA will soon have access to a new health facility which has been purpose built to support the local Aboriginal community.

The Gilgandra Local Aboriginal Medical Service (GLAMS) was officially opened on Tuesday 22 February with representatives from a local, regional, state and national level all in attendance.

GLAMS has been set up as a subsidiary of the Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service (CAHS) after the organisation was successful in receiving around $200,000 in federal government funding to help expand its services a few years ago.

Some of the various community members and stakeholders who attended the GLAMS opening. Image courtesy of CAHS.

"We knew the tender aligned with our interest in expanding and doing things in other communities and following consultation with the local community, we realised there was an unmet need in the Aboriginal health space in Gilgandra," CAHS CEO Phil Naden said.

"While there are other health service providers, the difference with a purpose built organisation is we are members of our state body the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council while the others are not.

"We provide a culturally holistic approach to our people and by choice people choose to come to GLAMS. There is also a sense of ownership for the local community who can provide input in how we operate and follow protocol."

According to Mr Naden, the new facility has four clinic rooms and a small board room with initial staff including a doctor, a nurse, an Aboriginal health worker and two administration staff, and room to upscale and grow over time.

He said the recruitment process for staff began shortly after the funding was sourced to make sure they were ready in time for the opening.

"We have secured a doctor from Coonamble who has expressed an interest in going to Gilgandra and the other staff were sourced locally," he said.

"We offered all our staff workforce development in Dubbo so they wouldn’t be starting fresh when the AMS opened."

The new facility will also serve as a bridging community to other CAHS-owned facilities in Coonamble and Dubbo which Mr Naden said would help their clients access a unified health service even when they are outside their local area.

While the facility won't be properly open to the public until March, representatives of varying ages from the community and various stakeholders visited the completed building for its official opening on Tuesday.

People in attendance included Uncle Ralph Nadan OAM who did the official welcome and dance with a group of youths, Carl Grant from the Bila Muuji Aboriginal Corporation Health Service, Western NSW Local Health District Executive Director Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Brendon Cutmore and federal member for Parkes Mark Coulton.

Uncle Ralph Nadan OAM performing with a group of Aboriginal youths during the opening of the GLAMS facility. Image courtesy of Mark Coulton's office.

Mr Naden said around 150 people in total were in attendance for what he considered a "very complementary and very humbling" day.

Also in attendance was local resident Buddie Knight. Ms Knight said the GLAMS facility had been a long time coming for Gilgandra and she was thrilled to see it for herself.

"I think it's so beneficial, not just to the local Aboriginal community but the whole of Gilgandra and the surrounding area," Ms Knight said.

"Even though we are so close to Dubbo, a lot of our people are still isolated in regards to travel, so being able to access those types of services locally will benefit everyone."

"In the long-term, this means better health outcomes for our people and community - I just want to say a huge thank you to Phil, the CAHS board and staff and all those involved in having this wonderful service in Gilgandra."