ORANGE may be known for its top health services, but there are still some people who must travel to Sydney for basic check-ups.
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Aiden Hamlin lives with cystic fibrosis and has made an urgent plea to the health sector to boost expertise in treating the disease.
The 25-year-old moved from Penrith to Orange five years ago with wife Megan to be closer to family.
But the move meant adding hours of travel time to his appointments at Westmead Hospital where his lung function is tested and physiotherapy program monitored.
Mr Hamlin said he knew of three other people in Orange with the condition but finding a GP with knowledge of cystic fibrosis took some shopping around and even then, was often told to put his questions to a specialist.
On one occasion, he had to wait six hours in emergency at Orange Health Service because he required a prescription, which could only be filled by a hospital.
"We have over 200 specialists in Orange and not one of them knows about CF," he said.
"Every four to six weeks I take a day off work and go for a check-up."
People with the genetic disease develop an abnormal amount of thick and sticky mucus within the lungs, airways and the digestive system, trapping bacteria in the lungs and causing recurring infections and irreversible damage.
They require constant medical treatment from birth to manage the condition, including taking up to 40 tablets a day.
The average life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis is 38 - Mr Hamlin's lung function remains at 50 per cent but said with full-time work not possible, saving a day's travel "would make a big difference".
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