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DR NIHAL NANDA DR NIHAL NANDA IS A VERY WELL RESPECTED SPECIALIST PHYSICIAN IN OUR COMMUNITY. FOCUS IS VERY HONOURED TO TALK TO DR NANDA ABOUT HIS PASSION FOR HELPING PEOPLE WHILST BEING SURROUNDED BY SOME OF THE BEST HEALTH PROFESSIONALS HERE IN THE NEW ENGLAND.
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hat brought you to Armidale, and what do you love most about living here? Armidale is a unique town as far as the population mix and the location is concerned. At the time when I was looking for a job as a staff specialist at the local hospital, there was a dire need for a physician with different skills who could offer services in the area of Geriatrics and General Medicine. When I contacted the then General Manager of the hospital, she was quite keen for me to fly in and have a look around. What do you love most about Armidale? The people, with the multicultural set up - a mix of very unique nationalities because of the university. The Medical School, which has opportunities for education and research. As I said, people who are very understanding and receptive to anything which is innovative and also tend to honour people who are quite committed to their work. What do you specialise in? Basic qualifications are in General Medicine. I have specialised training in Geriatrics and Endocrinology, but in a rural set up like Armidale you have to be multi skilled and it is need of the hour, where you could turn into a Cardiologist, Nephrologist or a Neurologist based on the type of cases which come through the emergency department. Tell us about your outreach centres. 20 new england focus.
and also from in and around the tablelands. My outreach centres are in Tenterfield and I get the opportunity to teach the medical Inverell. I deliver services to Rouse Street students at the UNE Medical School. I get Medical Centre and Inverell Medical Centre wide ranging opportunities to interact with on a monthly basis. I also visit patients in the people about rural life in NSW; being a local nursing homes or hospitals should there socialite and a foodie, I have great pleasure be a need. in being a member of the community where How important is it to be more than a I get the opportunity to visit many a friend specialist physician in our community? in town, as well as social get-togethers. Being culturally aware. More than What I am known for is being a a Specialist Physician, this good Indian chef. community needs a doctor Tell us about your team. who is approachable, nt I first of all would like receptive to ideas and lle I have exce e ar ho w s to thank my physician suggestions from other ue colleag , am te l ita sp colleagues, with ho colleagues and also be e part of th g in rs nu e th whom I am part of there for any needs so and al aff st th al he d lie al the physician team at and requirements and k in the the Armidale Hospital. for the local general with whom I wor care ing hospital deliver I am part of a team practitioners. The s and ic tr ia er G both in at Mayola Consulting person who is the e. � G eneral Medicin rooms, where I work with physician in this my colleagues Jodie and community needs to be Stacie and deliver community quite approachable and have based outpatient care. I am part a good deal of rapport with of a team in the Armidale Hospital not just clinical staff, but staff in the Clinics, where I have a group of very good community that cater to the needs of people including nurses, receptionists and people living in nursing homes, hostels other staff who again are part of a team and retirement villages. who inspire me all the time. I have excellent What do you love most about what you colleagues who are part of the hospital team, do? and also the nursing and allied health staff I love the job I do. It gives me great with whom I work in the hospital delivering opportunities to treat patients who come care both in Geriatrics and General Medicine. to me upon referral from their local general Who inspires you and why? practitioners, follow up from intensive care
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My inspiration is a long list of people right from the time I entered medical school, but to thank a few from the recent part of my professional career, I would say, the late Dr Michael Price, who was a Geriatrician at the Westmead Hospital; Professor Susan Kurrle, who was an inspiration and a great pleasure to work with in Hornsby Kuringgai Health Service; Dr John Flynn, my colleague at the Armidale Hospital; and Dr Gary Baker, my mentor and guide in Armidale. When not being a busy physician, what would we find you doing? That is an interesting question. I love travelling, which is actually not good for a busy doctor, but I sneak in opportunities to travel both in Australia and worldwide and also to my home country, India. I love cooking, which gives me an opportunity to deliver dinners to friends. I love outdoor activities, which include bushwalking and also 4WD tours. Plans for the future? At the moment after an extended medical leave, with the amount of love and concern shown by the community, I plan to dedicate the greater part of the rest of my professional life to Armidale for the betterment of health in the community and also be part of hopefully a better structure which would befit the needs of the community in this vast ranging area. Thanks Dr Nanda.