Lynne Mowbray |
Doctor Anil Thakur from Clarence Medical Centre in Maclean has been acknowledged for his years of service to NSW rural communities.
Doctor Thakur received the prestigious award during a presentation dinner at the NSW Rural Doctors Network, Rural GPs Conference which was held in Sydney, during the first weekend of December.
Each year the NSW Rural Medical Service Award acknowledges rural doctors who have achieved long-standing medical service to regional, rural and remote communities in NSW.
The award is presented to doctors who have achieved 35 years or more of service in rural NSW.
Dr Thakur came to Australia from India in 1972 and since his arrival he has worked in many locations around the country; Tasmania, Newcastle, Gosford, Alice Springs, and Rylstone and Kandos in central west NSW.
He spent 7 years in UK in various surgical specialities. He also obtained the Fellowships of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh as well as Glasgow.
Dr Thakur was appointed as a Surgeon at Maclean District Hospital (MDH) in 1985 and established the Clarence Medical Centre practice in Maclean the same year, with his wife Usha.
The Medical Centre practice started from a single surgery in the current building, expanding to two rooms and then four in 1987.
Dr Thakur’s particular interests included general surgery, trauma, colonoscopy, gastroscopy, some orthopaedics, urology, hand surgery and skin cancer etc.
Up until recently, the popular doctor conducted day surgery once a week at MDH. He now works in his Clarence Medical Centre Practice doing many surgical procedures under Nerve Blocks & Local Anesthetic.
During the last 33 years, Dr Thakur strived to maintain and continue surgical facilities at MDH and it is possibly the longest period, which any surgeon has worked in Maclean during the last century.
In 2005 Dr Thakur established the Clarence Skin Clinic in lower Clarence Valley; an audit shows they diagnose 30-40 new melanomas each year.
In 2009 he established the First Medical Cosmetic Clinic in lower Clarence Valley – ‘Clarence Cosmetic Clinic’.
Dr Thakur has a passionate interest in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate medical students with students from almost every university in Australia attending the Clarence Medical Centre since 1986; there has even been an occasional medical student from USA.
Dr Thakur said that he felt humbled at receiving the recent award.
“I felt grateful to my children, friends, patients, students and colleagues for letting me learn from them and letting me share my experiences with them,” Dr Thakur said.
“I’m still actively working in Clarence Medical Centre and hope to continue for as long as I am needed and able,” he said.