Doctor, Writer, Narrative Medicine Educator. Loves medicine, poetry, essay, art, literary fiction and people who strive to make world around them softer, sillier, sweeter and more inclusive. Proud board member at https://thesocialstudio.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3m2kokybl3s27GPs who do thorough medical care, showing up for both mental health and physical health are *penalised* by the Australian Medicare system. But this story buries the lede (completely): Mark Butler is killing off Mental Health item numbers for GP patients next month 🤯 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-07/bulk-billing-low-as-gps-spend-longer-with-patients-racgp/105856332?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other06 Oct 2025 22:40 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2kokybl3s27https://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lxys4wkges2yThis is really sad, friends. Surely there must be a way to save it? https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/04/meanjin-closing-mup-melbourne-university-publishing-literary-journal/#Echobox=175694918304 Sep 2025 09:05 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxys4wkges2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lvfmxv5avc2jThank you @gingergorman. I appreciate your brave and thoughtful words. The bullying and silencing (of brave souls who speak their conscience against violence and complicity) is ripping us apart. It's happening across all industries, including healthcare, and most stories never 'go public'. [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Aug 2025 07:22 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvfmxv5avc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lra5sbu7as2oLoved this discussion exploring family secrets, which included my esteemed colleague @ashleybarnwell.bsky.social https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/the-truth-behind-family-secrets/10539578010 Jun 2025 05:26 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lra5sbu7as2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lqh3p4gkqs2oTook a class of Narrative Medicine students to see this play, 'The Black Woman of Gippsland'. They loved every moment of this. The layered story. The fierce acting. The challenging of history. The incredible dance. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @australia.theguardian.com https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/may/10/the-black-woman-of-gippsland-review-in-the-battle-to-tell-australias-history-who-gets-to-be-believed?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other31 May 2025 06:12 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqh3p4gkqs2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lq7ih5b5z226We cannot stay silent. 1000 of my Australian colleagues are calling for government action to end the loss of life in Palestine.28 May 2025 05:39 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lq7ih5b5z226https://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3loieafrblk2wIf politicians really want to be 'tough on crime': - improve safe and stable housing access - improve access to primary and mental health care - support early childhood education - support family planning and parenting Policing is only the tip of the iceberg. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-06/mike-bush-victoria-chief-police-commissioner/10525731206 May 2025 07:27 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3loieafrblk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lnyej6qk6k2tI remember the moment I realised that under Medicare I was being penalised for doing good Medicine, and patients were being punished for seeking it. Thanks @gpswampwarrior.bsky.social for writing this. https://www.medicalrepublic.com.au/medicare-misogyny-smoke-and-a-lot-of-mirrors/116259?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ-NgdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFZMWlhdXNDTGdzUHhWenhoAR4wMBkwwLX80xmK6db2pzKv2eYHxRzFsRTKFxli9xZM2GmQvQQfc4DbtWLHWg_aem_qRglTKYIAf-I9N0bTXqaiQ29 Apr 2025 22:49 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnyej6qk6k2thttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lnvueb7klc2cWow. Curious to hear what GPs and patients think about this?👇🏾 @timsenior.bsky.social @kangaroobeach.bsky.social @lizsturgiss.bsky.social @karenmagraith.bsky.social @brookmanknight.bsky.social @racgp.bsky.social https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/private-equity-backed-gp-chain-a-winner-from-labor-health-spending-20250424-p5lu0y?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ85exleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlAP6u93E0NQZswoga4V6TqnMYgRJRq6M7JPmdFebPdijVvwixID-cL30D4__aem_rOJjTlNfds0sH04ib8wKCA28 Apr 2025 22:55 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnvueb7klc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lnahmtdrx222This is such important reporting, and such an important conversation. Whose experiences are taken seriously? (In healthcare, in all institutions of care, in our families, in our communities...) https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-woman-thought-she-had-a-stalker-authorities-sent-her-to-a-psych-ward-20250326-p5lmry.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJxrWZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHhoUkhvvke8q_H3CxI1eUC7-SqwtpjfX05OkGnPFlxu1tflVmSz_cVTvRhGC_aem_q2OZ2dbVMe2lsfPJLZ20Zw20 Apr 2025 10:41 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnahmtdrx222https://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lmymokgptk2xYesterday people commited to healthcare, story and creativity came together for Australia's first Narrative Medicine symposium, an enriching interdisciplinary collaboration with the Faculties of Arts and Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at The University of Melbourne.17 Apr 2025 07:50 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmymokgptk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3ll4djfubxc2n"International humanitarian law in its current form cannot be relied upon... Medical associations and specialty societies must lead advocacy efforts to ensure that hospitals, health care workers, and patients are protected and not viewed as military targets." https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author/YEUJKZXFQYRANNPMBEPN?target=10.5694/mja2.5262624 Mar 2025 08:27 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ll4djfubxc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lku6rdk6i22uWell, this is a disappointing turn of events. What happened to reducing conflicts of interest, improving quality and real, multidisciplinary collaboration? https://www.ama.com.au/qld/news/Pharmacy-prescribing-made-permanent-without-adequate-evidence?fbclid=IwY2xjawJJsIpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVB8i_gEtFfpP4BG7R_hWXdb0ltSJXXwYJg7VuFaUSlcsMARArLFz7iQGg_aem_AYzAL_fFaiL1QouY8unJSw21 Mar 2025 02:40 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lku6rdk6i22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lkaogqdqu22gWant a little taste of the work we are doing in Narrative Medicine? Thanks #rcheducation for taking a leap with poetry and medicine in the same podcast! Lmk if you listen ❤️ https://open.spotify.com/episode/7wNyROxR1eBktO7ddMkdLY?si=lO5dVKhnShWzPQABXwRTDg&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A16WtL2JYlc9Iq7uJkRWpxf13 Mar 2025 08:27 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkaogqdqu22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3ljtxefzugs25Happy International Women's Day. May we challenge the systems that undervalue us, overwork us and keep us "lesser than". And may one day, Medicare pay me as much as the taciturn man-doc in the room next door. #genderpaygap #medicare #medsky #slowmedicine @racgp.bsky.social08 Mar 2025 07:03 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljtxefzugs25https://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lixupbu74k25On the pledges for Medicare. (And a shout out to the Greens who have also committed to supporting primary care by salarying GPs in areas of need.) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/25/should-australias-gps-and-patients-be-excited-about-the-medicare-pledge-yes-and-no?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other25 Feb 2025 03:00 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lixupbu74k25https://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lithsgphr22yGPs and patients of Australia, are you excited or worried, hopeful or hopeless about just-promised Medicare reform?🧐 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-23/coalition-wont-oppose-labor-medicare-funding/10497058223 Feb 2025 08:59 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lithsgphr22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lignqgc7nc2rGood to see the importance of medical oxygen being given some air time-- its a lifesaving medication: something we often take for granted in Australia, but not available or accessible in so many health settings around the world. //www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/health/medical-oxygen-shortage.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/health/medical-oxygen-shortage.html18 Feb 2025 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lignqgc7nc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lhpxrvdwi224This is progress. Good call from the Australian Labor government. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-08/federal-labor-promises-funding-boost-for-womens-health/10491420209 Feb 2025 06:09 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhpxrvdwi224https://bsky.app/profile/mariamtokhi.bsky.social/post/3lgzbj7t64s2hI've deleted the post calling in all #clinicalmarshmallows because I was educated that the email screenshot was too identifying. May we all stay soft and joyful enough to support each other's well-being31 Jan 2025 05:32 +0000at://did:plc:q4tafndcerfjimpjbyphcbhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lgzbj7t64s2h