Amidst an ongoing GP shortage crisis in the region, one Dubbo medical centre is welcoming four new general practitioners to their team - some with experience in regional and rural healthcare.
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"Having four new members join the team is very exciting - it's a great start," said Macquarie Health Collective's founder, Tanya Forster.
The new arrivals come as three Dubbo GPs left their clinics in the last two months, unable to meet soaring operations and administrative costs.
"We've had two practices shut down in the last six months in Dubbo which has put an incredible strain on our GP resources across town. Twelve months ago our goal was to increase the medical services we have available not head in the opposite direction," said Ms Forster.
"Having those practises close was a scary thing for the community so it gives us some comfort to know we've been able to bring on four new doctors and head in the right direction again."
Making news in Dubbo
Joining the Macquarie Health Collective as a senior GP registrar is Dr Yulia Bedretdinova who moved to Dubbo just two weeks ago. The mother-of-two is familiar with the challenges of healthcare in regional and rural NSW having previously worked in Broken Hill and Orange.
"People in regional areas are very kind and very approachable. My work in Broken Hill gave me a good understanding of the psychological side of things - some of the challenges that come from isolation," she said.
Dr Bedretdinova moved to Australia from Europe 13 years ago and worked as a paediatric registrar at the Westmead and Blacktown Hospitals in Sydney. Her areas of interest include paediatrics, preventive medicine, and patient education.
Also with experience in regional healthcare is Dr Syema Khan who started her GP career in Broken Hill before relocating to Dubbo in February this year. Having come to Dubbo with her family previously, she was excited by the opportunity to settle in and get to know the community.
"I have two children and they love it here, they've already started school here. There's a good multicultural community too, and it's a very friendly place - overall I'm enjoying life here. I'll be here for at least two years and I will see how things go," she said.
The newest arrival is Dr Jessica Arulrajah, who moved to Dubbo from Sydney just a week and a half ago. Hailing from Sydney, she studied for her medical degree in Western Australia before moving back to Sydney to start her GP training - she is now in her second term as a registrar.
"I heard Dubbo is a nice regional area with a good community and a lot of need for GPs, so I thought it would be a great learning opportunity if I came here. The patients I've seen so far have been very lovely and very appreciative," she said.
Dr Arulrajah said she is passionate about all aspects of general practice but has a keen interest in women and children's health and preventative care medicine.
"I'm still settling into town and taking it each day as it comes - but so far a career here is looking promising."
Ms Forster said recruiting four new doctors to the community - despite "concerning" zoning changes which saw incentives for doctors to work regionally being dropped - was a "major win".
"The new doctors are exceptionally skilled and the addition of some friendly faces with their own incredible skillsets into Dubbo is wonderful for our town."