The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) says it delayed its response to the police shooting of a teenager in Yuendumu for more than an hour, until it was called off because the young man died from his injuries.

Key points: The RFDS received a brief initial report of a gunshot wound in Yuendumu at 7:45pm

The RFDS received a brief initial report of a gunshot wound in Yuendumu at 7:45pm The aeromedical team had still not departed at 9pm, when the service was told Kumanjayi Walker had died

The aeromedical team had still not departed at 9pm, when the service was told Kumanjayi Walker had died The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT is calling for an investigation into the evacuation of local health clinics and the aborted aircraft response

The service said it was seeking confirmation from NT Police of "safe conditions" for it to land and a condition report on the patient before it would fly in to airlift 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker after he was shot by an officer trying to arrest him.

The evacuation of health clinic staff after a number of break-ins meant there was no medical help on Saturday night in the community, which is 266 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs.

WARNING: This article contains an image of Kumanjayi Walker used with the permission of his family.

A statement from the RFDS said the service received a brief initial report of a gunshot wound in Yuendumu at 7:45pm.

Kumanjayi Walker was shot by police on Saturday night in Yuendumu. ( Supplied: Facebook )

Almost half an hour later a formal request for an airlift was made to the RFDS by the Northern Territory Government's Medical Retrieval and Consultation Centre.

"The circumstances of the shooting were still not known, and what ongoing risk, if any, was posed to others," the RFDS statement read.

The service said it remained in contact with the retrieval service and police "with the attempt to confirm there was a safe and secure environment for the aircraft [and] crew to land, and what resource was available to meet and safely transport the retrieval team by vehicle to the patient".

The aeromedical team that prepared to depart had not embarked on the 50-minute flight when the service was told at 9:00pm Mr Walker had died.

The young man was pronounced dead by clinic staff who arrived from the nearby Yuelamu community and assessed him around an hour after the shots were fired.

Responding health workers injured

The NT Health Department spokesperson defended the weekend closure of the Yuendumu clinic in a statement released late on Monday.

The staff members were reportedly taken to Alice Springs Hospital for treatment for "minor bruises and lacerations". ( ABC News: Katrina Beavan )

It said staff raised safety concerns on Saturday morning after "community unrest" and the department put plans in place to enable them to leave the community, "as did staff from other government and non-government services".

The department also said the two clinic workers from Yuelamu who arrived in Yuendumu after the shooting on Saturday night "were injured in community unrest" but did not give any details about what happened.

The staff members were reportedly taken to Alice Springs Hospital for treatment for "minor bruises and lacerations".

Yuendumu health clinic reopened for day services on Monday afternoon.

RFDS refusal 'not acceptable': Aboriginal health boss

The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory is calling on the NT Government and the RFDS to investigate the evacuation of local health clinics and the aborted aircraft response.

"It is not acceptable for [the RFDS] to not make the approach and land at the community and immediately provide the healthcare," chief executive John Paterson said.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner cited arrangements with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and CareFlight when asked what the NT Government did to ensure remote communities had access to medical help.

Mr Paterson said evacuating health clinics at times of community unrest was becoming increasingly common and alternative approaches were needed to ensure people were not left vulnerable.

John Paterson said evacuating health clinics at times of community unrest was becoming increasingly common. ( ABC News: Mitch Woolnough )

"It is totally unacceptable to not have clinic staff there when you've got a community of more than a thousand people that are requiring ongoing health care to treat their chronic illnesses," he said.

"I'm sure if this was in the suburbs or the capital cities, a totally different strategy and approach would've been taken.

"The Northern Territory Government needs to ensure there's enough police presence there, patrols and other strategies are in place to provide the appropriate security and safety for those essential service workers."

Mr Gunner said the Government had a duty of care for public servants.

"Sometimes it is a wrestle between providing the service the community needs and we want the community to have and making sure we're respecting our duty of care to public servants," he said.

Jamie Chalker on the 'challenge for police'

NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker would not say how many times Mr Walker was shot or what weapon he had allegedly used to stab an officer.

"The challenge for police, particularly with the need and thirst of people wanting to know what goes on, is the more we put in the public domain we run the risk of inherently biasing potential witnesses," he said.

Commissioner Chalker said NT Police would "critically" review the timing of the attempted arrest, given there was no medical staff in the community on Saturday night.

NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker, pictured with Police Minister Nicole Manison, said NT Police would "critically" review the timing of the attempted arrest. ( ABC: Michael Franchi )

The use of a gun on Saturday night would be central to the investigation, he said.

Commissioner Chalker said he understood why some people wanted an investigation independent of police involvement, but the investigation currently underway had external oversight.

"This is not uncommon when there's a death as a result of police interactions, but what I can assure Territorians is my interest here is to serve the Territory," he said.

"This has been a tragic event. We have the ICAC Commissioner who plays a role now that its been established ... we also have the coroner."

Mr Chalker said he had not yet watched the body camera footage from Saturday night.