Dubbo health services have been bolstered with the arrival of a permanent resident surgeon Dr Ruwan Perera.
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Dr Perera’s residency at Dubbo Base Hospital comes two months after the appointment of general manager Andrew Newton who has designs to bring the hospital into “the 21st century”.
Dr Perera has brought his wife and three daughters to Dubbo after a residency in Brisbane.
The physician earned a surgeon’s degree in his home country of Sri Lanka before migrating to Australia in 2006.
Dr Perera will perform surgery in a number of areas including trauma and joins four Visiting Medical Officers who practice at Dubbo hospital.
“It is very hard to be a surgeon in Sri Lanka but it is something I wanted to do since I was a child,” he said.
“I think Dubbo is a nice town and a good place to work ... I really like the hospital, people are very good, very welcoming.”
Dr Perera said he was also pleased to see strong community interest in the Dubbo health service.
Dubbo Health Council’s newly appointed chairperson, Elizabeth Allen, said it was “fantastic” to be able to welcome the full-time Dr Perera.
She said Sri Lankan doctors held a special place in her heart after one successfully operated on her husband’s prostate cancer.
Mrs Allen wants to raise the profile of the health council during her one-year tenure.
“I believe the public need to work with us not against us. They need to communicate with us bring their ideas and concerns to the health council so we can all work towards not only a better health service but a better set-up in Dubbo, keeping in mind that Dubbo is the hub of the west,” she said.
She said Dr Perera’s appointment was an example of Mr Newton’s ability to “pull things together”.
“Every time I ask him a question he has a legitimate answer,” she said.
Mr Newton said having Dr Perera on board would boost patient care.
“It is great for the hospital here in Dubbo and also great for the community to have another permanent doctor resident,” he said
“It will provide continuity to the service, we get locums and they a provide great service but they fly in, fly out. To have a doctor here it provides that continuity in patient care.”
Mr Newton said he was focused on recruiting more doctors, hospital accreditation and developing plans “to bring us into the 21st century”.
