According to latest health plan by the new health boss Kim Snowball, health outcomes of the Aborigines is of the highest priority for him, and that health managers will be sacked if they fail to employ more Aborigines in their departments.

Less than 3 percent of the Health department's 37, 000 employees are Aborigines, said Mr Snowball.

The life span of indigenous Australians is 10 years shorter than that of non-indigenous Australians.

Mr Snowball said, In terms of health outcomes, Aboriginal health has to be a priority for me. Employment of Aboriginal people in the health system is important.

He advised chief executives of every area health service to increase their employment of Aboriginal people, especially in locations where Aborigines are high in the number of their patients and those who attend emergency departments.

He stressed that for every region, the number of employment for Aborigines will be different.

To improve the overall health of Aborigines, he said, it is vital that they become a part of the system.

Mr Snowball said, There is a history of people sitting around and talking about how they would fix Aboriginal Health in WA. But what they arrive at as the solution is going to be quite different to the Aboriginal person living in Halls Creek.

He said, the key is in having a shared understanding about all the health issues and risks and approach them all together.

Ted Wilkes, leader of the Aborigines who is also head of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University said the ultimate aim would be to have an Aboriginal person to be the director-general of the Health Department.

Supporting the plan made by Mr Snowball, Prof Wilkes said, I think if we have more Aboriginal people working in the Health Department then you will see a marked increase in their health condition.

As part of the new plan, representatives from the Health Department are visiting high schools to encourage Aboriginal students to consider a career in the health system, and new hospital constructions are under way that will need Aboriginal workers to be a part of the projects.