 Health. Australia has very good health care. Ask a settlement service provider to tell you about medicare, doctors, dentists, optometrists, family planning and other health services. Going to the doctor. You will have had a health check before you came to Australia. Now you are here. You and your family should see a doctor again, even if you don't feel sick. This will make sure you are healthy. Some illnesses, such as malaria and tuberculosis, are unusual in Australia but can be treated. It is important that you see a doctor. In Australia, you have to make an appointment to see a doctor. You need to phone to find out when the doctor is available. Doctors can be very busy, so it can take some time to get an appointment and you may have to try a few doctors to find one who is available. You must always be on time for your appointment. Cancel your appointment if you cannot attend. Some medical centres accept patients without an appointment but you may have to wait a long time before you can see the doctor. Debbie has been in Australia for two months. When you go to the hospital, the doctor, the nurse, they are very helpful. They come and ask what is your problem. When you first go to the doctor, take your medical documents, your Medicare card and your healthcare card and ask about immunisations for your family. Ask a settlement service provider to help you find a local doctor and if you can't speak English well, ask for help to make a doctor's appointment. When you feel sick, you should not be shy. Ask for help. When you see a doctor in Australia, it's a medical doctor, not a health assistant that you are seeing in your country. You may go to a clinic. In the clinic, there are qualified doctors. You don't have to go to a hospital to see a doctor. You can see a doctor next door from your home. They are qualified doctors. Doctors here in Australia are like your friend. They will very clearly tell you what you need to do, what you're suffering from and that is kept secret, that not be told to other people. And they are like your friends. So you should speak up and tell anything that you feel to the doctors. You are entitled to an interpreter to help you speak to the doctor. It is important that you ask for an interpreter when you make your doctor's appointment. You can request a male or female interpreter. This service can help you communicate with your doctor and will probably be via a telephone. This service is free. Medicare. In Australia, the government helps you pay for some of your medical costs through Medicare. You should ask your settlement service provider about getting a Medicare card as soon as possible. And remember, it is important that you carry it with you at all times. Some doctors bug bill. This means Medicare will pay for your doctor's visit. You won't have to pay anything. Other doctors will ask you to pay after your appointment. If you pay, take your receipt to a Medicare office and they will refund some of your payment. Medication. Your doctor will tell you what medication you will need to take and give you a prescription. Many medications and some contraception in Australia require prescription from a doctor before you can buy them. You will then need to take this prescription to a chemist or a pharmacy to buy your medication. It is very important that you use the medication your doctor prescribes. Make sure you ask for help from the chemist or pharmacy to understand how much medication to use, how and when to take it. Ask for an interpreter if you don't understand. It is free. Never give your medication to other people and keep medication away from children as it may make them sick. Don't use medicine that is old. There are many medicines and herbs available in Australia. It is important to always tell your doctor if you are taking any traditional medicines. Emergency 000. 000 is the emergency telephone number across Australia for police, fire and ambulance. It is a free telephone call. When you call 000, tell the operator which service you need. Police, fire brigade or ambulance. Then tell them your address and what is wrong. If you are using a home phone, the emergency services can find you by computer. So if you are feeling confused, stay on the phone and help will come to you. If there is an accident or you or someone you know is seriously ill or injured, you should go straight to the hospital or call 000 and ask for an ambulance. The ambulance service will come to you and take you to the hospital if you need more help. Remember that if you are very sick or injured and need to go to a public hospital, you will usually not have to pay for treatment. Counselling. Arriving in a new country is filled with new experiences and challenges. At times you may be happy and at other times you may have some difficulties and be disappointed or upset. It is normal for people who have had experiences of war and conflict to be stressed or feel anxious and worried. Some people continue to have unpleasant memories or bad dreams. They may not be able to sleep or to concentrate on everyday things. Children can also remember bad experiences or be affected by family worries. They can show their stress by being quiet, by being very angry or behaving in ways that may upset or worry you. There are people who can help you and your families deal with problems which come from stress and bad experiences of the past. These people are called counsellors and they are there to talk to you and help you. The information you provide is private and no one else will be there during your counselling. I think counselling is very important when you come from a traumatic situation. The counselling really helps you to understand your problem and that will help you to speak up and gain confidence and then that makes you feel that there is someone that you can share. You don't only have to share in your home. Interpreters are available and some counsellors are from the same cultural background as you. If you would like counselling, don't be afraid to tell your settlement service provider or doctor and they will help you make contact. Counselling services are also available if you have problems with gambling, alcohol or drugs. Staying healthy To stay healthy, you need to eat healthy food and have a balanced diet. You should also try to exercise regularly. Drinking too much alcohol is expensive and affects your health, family relationships and even your job. Drug use is illegal in Australia. Smoking is very bad for your health and there are many places in Australia where smoking cigarettes is not allowed. For example, on public transport, in restaurants and rental properties. In Australia, there are age restrictions on buying cigarettes and alcohol. You should look after your personal hygiene. There are simple ways to do this, such as taking a shower once a day and washing your hands regularly with soap, especially after going to the toilet. You should also wash your clothes regularly and wear deodorant. There are no squat toilets in Australia and people sit down on toilets here. People use toilet paper to clean themselves after using the toilet, not water. It is also important to look after your teeth. You should brush your teeth every morning and night and visit the dentist regularly. Storing food You might not be used to the way we store food in Australia. Some of the food you buy will last a long time. Other food will have to be eaten very quickly. It is important that you store your food safely and check the use-by-dates to make sure that it doesn't make you sick. Milk, mint and cheese, butter, you need to put in the fridge. If you are not put in the fridge, they will get spoiled and you can't use any more, in a waste of the money, in a waste of the time. And like some food you can put in the pantry, like chili, salt, dry noodles, dry rice, you can put in the pantry. Freeze is not a luxury in Australia. It is a necessity. If you don't keep your food in the fridge, the food will be wasted. You will get sick. You may not want to keep your rice, your potato and those service stuff in the fridge. But all other fruits and veggies in Australia have to keep in the fridge. And even the food that you cook have to be kept in the fridge and you can eat next day.