Community & Business
6 July, 2022
Fruits pay off for doctor recruitment on Tablelands
DRIED mango and locally produced coffee, tea and chocolate were a hit at a national conference recently as part of a cunning strategy to bring more clinicians to work in rural parts of the region.
Clinicians from Mareeba Hospital attended the annual Rural Doctors Association of Queensland conference in Gladstone last month to discuss the challenges facing communities they support, and the latest advice and information on clinical practice.
The event has already had a positive outcome, with one couple who are both doctors, visiting Mareeba last week with a view to coming to the town to begin work in February next year.
Mareeba Hospital director of medical services Dr Brian Treanor, said as part of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s participation in the conference, they had a booth to promote the region as a desirable destination to work and live.
“Many doctors-in-training come to the conference to try and find a job where they can undertake or complete their fellowship training,” he said.
“We wanted the CHHHS booth to look different and to promote our wonderful region in a different way.
“So, we gained wonderful support from businesses we approached.
“Mareeba’s Coffee Works provided a hamper with chocolates, coffee and liquor, which was raffled off.
“Nerada Tea donated a range of herbal teas, which were packaged up with a label inviting delegates to ‘have a cup of tea on us.’
“But the most popular item on our stand was dried mango, which was donated by a local grower - we ran out on the first morning of the conference!”
Dr Treanor said the CHHHS stall was a huge success, with many doctors stopping and wanting more information about hospitals in the Far North.
Next year’s RDAQ conference will be held in Cairns, where Dr Treanor hoped the Health Service could capitalise on the many junior doctors pursuing work.
“I’m not sure what exactly we will do next year, but we will definitely need dried mango for our stall,” he said.
