Medical centre here for long term

PEOPLE in the Sunraysia region now have more healthcare options with the opening of the Mildura Family Medical Centre.

“I’ve always wanted to start my own medical practice but it’s very difficult to bring doctors to the town, I got a few anchored down and that’s where the idea came out,” general practitioner Dr Rabin Jason Vikrama said.

“Sustainability has been a big problem, I’ve had a waiting list of three to six weeks at a time, other doctors have closed their books entirely, junior doctors come for training and get overwhelmed and leave.

“The doctors who are joining us here are all owners, I’ve locked them in, it’s not a case of them coming in for a couple of years and the patients growing comfortable and then they leave, they’ve all got a stake and they’re establishing a life here.

“I want to bring back that concept of the family doctor who treats the same person as they grow up from a baby to getting married and having a kid of their own, once you’ve got that bond with your patient, then that’s your patient.

“A lot of times when patients see a new doctor they’re not comfortable, you want to build a rapport with them first and then once you break that barrier that’s when everything comes out which allows us to properly help them.

“If I get to run this well, the amount of patients presenting to the hospital is going to reduce, and those people who really meed medical attention and emergencies can go there.”

Featured in the brand-new purpose-built clinic are nine consulting rooms as well as an equipped treatment room, with three general practitioners supported by a full-time registered nurse, practice manager, and administration team.

“From a front desk perspective in the admin alone we have nearly two decades experience, each one of us, we’re not new to this we’re here because we care,” second in charge Esther Foreman said.

“We have a really good relationship with our patients and our GPs are fantastic, each one of these doctors has built trust in the community and they’re all-round beautiful people.”

Mildura Family Medical Centre offer a variety of services including general consultations, chronic disease management, health screening, skin checks, minor surgical procedures, and more.

To book an appointment call 03 5002 9290, visit the centre at 142 Pine Avenue or the website at mildurafamilymc.com.au.