Courting doctors

Its management team and Mayor Norm Brennan had dinner with prospective doctor Poula Armanious and his wife Denika to entice them to make the move here.Cr Brennan said because they had shown interest in Deniliquin, the couple spent four days ‘‘having a look around’’.‘‘Ochre personnel were overseeing their visit and council’s acting general manager (Oliver McNulty) and myself were invited to have dinner with them,’’ Cr Brennan said.‘‘We discussed their interests and enlightened them on what our region has to offer. In the time they were here, they were impressed with what they saw.”Deniliquin Medical Centre junior practice manager Annie Small said while Dr Armanious has not yet made a decision about the position in Deniliquin, he and his wife were impressed with the community.‘‘We want to showcase Deniliquin because people often think we are isolated, but we are not,’’ she said.‘‘Doctor Armanious stayed in a beautiful villa along the Edward River with his wife, and was able to spend a day working with Dr Albert Liebenberg to see how our facility runs.‘‘I think they were able to get a good taste of Deniliquin and its community.’’Mrs Small said recruitment of a doctor, or doctors, for the Deniliquin Medical Centre has been ongoing for several years.She said with two doctors confirming they will leave in coming months, efforts by Ochre Health and Edward River Council are ramping up.‘‘The medical centre is a community facility so our books are always open to new patients, but we do let them know with the possible upcoming doctor shortage they may experience a wait time for non-urgent appointments.‘‘But we are actively recruiting new doctors to join our team in this wonderful community, and we are employing locums to relieve the pressure in the meantime.’’Cr Brennan said it is important local residents have a well resourced health service, which is an aim of a new health advocacy committee (Deniliquin Health Action Group), in which he is actively involved.‘‘It is important to make sure local residents can access adequate health care, and that is what newly recruited doctors will help us achieve.‘‘Ochre has been very positive in attempts to recruit doctors, with another two doctors showing interest in working here, and they will be visiting in the near future,’’ he said.