‘They have faced terrifying abuse. They don’t sleep’: General practice in a women’s refuge
Dr Colette Hourigan on the care she is offering to women and children escaping domestic violence.
“Her haemoglobin was 47, the lowest I have ever seen, and she was experiencing chest pains, palpitations, lightheadedness,” Dr Colette Hourigan says.
“She was so close to death, but she was so focused on her children and what was happening to them. That is what amazes me: these mothers will protect their children at any cost.”
Three years ago, Dr Hourigan — a GP on the Central Coast, NSW — set up a pilot in three refuges to care for women and children escaping domestic violence.
There were just two staff: herself and a nurse. But from that point, the team grew and has now provided some 4000 consults to more than 250 patients.
