Rural areas in almost all countries have trouble attracting doctors, and Australia is no different. That’s why The Richmond River Express Examiner was excited and welcoming when Dr. Elaheh Basiri came to town this month as the fifth doctor in the community clinic.
The newspaper said the clinic had been short-handed since 2002 and has had to trim its hours all that time.
“I am happy to see all patients,” Dr. Basiri said. Trained in Iran, she brings 11 years of general practice experience to Kyogle, a town of 4,000 people 750 kilometers (460 miles) north of Sydney.
Kyogle is Dr. Basiri’s first posting in Australia. She came with two children in tow. She said it was the diversity offered by a small town practice that attracted her in part.
All but one of Kyogle’s doctors are foreign-born and educated.
