THE increasing needs of mining companies and their staff for a range of support services in Western Australia has led to new opportunities for employment and growth in a number of sectors.
Perth-based occupational health consultancy OccuMED is one business to have evolved with the mining industry.
Founded by physician John Low in 1996 in Subiaco, OccuMED’s clientele is dominated by mining companies and contractors, with about 70 per cent of its customers generated from the industry.
To accommodate their needs, Dr Low last year opened a second clinic near Perth Domestic Airport on Great Eastern Highway for fly-in, fly-out clients.
At first glance the modern, two-storey complex appears typical of a busy medical practice as patients gather in its waiting room.
However, on closer inspection the premises show potential for the type of growth the state is witnessing across its mining operations.
Several doctors’ rooms and examination quarters, administration areas and a spacious gym show the capacity OccuMED’s management expects to require.
Dr Low said OccuMED currently operated the clinic with the equivalent of one-and-a-half doctors. He expects this to increase to three doctors working full-time within the next six months.
Overall, the company has grown from a one-man show 15 years ago to a staff of 30 now, including two occupational physicians, two trainees and two part-time general practitioners.
As a result of the growth, Dr Low has introduced a range of new services to the company to nurture these relationships.
Outside of the company’s core services centred on standard independent health checks such as drug screens and musculoskeletal strength and function assessments, OccuMED has established a 24-7 remote area medical support facility.
At any time clients can contact OccuMED via teleconference or webcam, and can provide images or video of patients to assist in determining a diagnosis.
Dr Low believes occupational health consultancies will need to provide mining companies with broader services such as this as the industry grows.
“Our growth is really based on our clients’ requirements and that’s how we have operated so far,” Dr Low said.
“At the moment the 24-7 service has worked quite well and as technology advances we will use that service more often.”
He predicted the demand for occupational physicians would result in a skills shortage for the profession in WA, something already affecting his business when attracting staff.
“Certain clients in the oil and gas industry won’t accept anyone other than an occupational physician to do a fitness for work assessment for them,” Dr Low said.
“They won’t accept just a GP for these assessments, so I think there is going to be a shortage of occupational physicians.”
