Key Points
- Exceptional service to regional Australia during recent disasters
- Despite being a specialist surgeon, Dr Velovski dressed wounds, arranged tetanus shots and advocated for government support of GPs amidst floods and lockdowns in regional NSW
- Born to Macedonian migrants, Dr Velovski saw them interpret medical services and developed interest in healthcare
An Australian of Macedonian heritage, Dr Sue Velovski has been a specialist surgeon in the Northern Rivers region since 2007.
Well-known in the community for not just her medical expertise but also her modesty, Dr Velovski is one of two doctors to receive the Rural Doctor of the Year Award 2022 at the Rural Medicine Australia (RMA22) Conference dinner organised by the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) in Canberra on 14 October.
The RDAA is Australia's peak body that represents rural doctors and specialists.
She provides a variety of surgical services in Lismore and Ballina in regional New South Wales, including cancer surgery and trauma-related surgery, amongst other crucial services for the communities where she works.
The other winner is Dr Peter Rischbieth from the South Australian town of Murray Bridge, where he has been active for the last for 35 years. A rural generalist, Dr Rischbieth has led the rural doctors' movement in the state for more than a decade.
While receiving the award, she dwelt upon her work during last years flood and lockdowns and the emotions that ensued.
“It wasn’t above and beyond the duty, it’s what we do every day to look after … The first thing I say to my young doctors is, first we are human beings and we hurt like someone else hurts when they lose their house.Dr Sue Velovski
"When someone in our family gets cancer, we hurt like they hurt”, she said at the award ceremony.
How it began, how it's going
Dr Velovski grew up in Newcastle, when it was still a small rural town.
Her first experience of the medical sector was when she and her brother would spend afternoons after school at local medical clinics and hospitals and watch their migrant parents interpret medical advice for the Macedonian community.
Dr Sue Velovski with her award. Credit: Rural Doctors Association of Australia
She calls Dr Velovski "an absolute powerhouse," both in her local region as well as the state and national stage.
She was a tireless advocate for cancer patients in Lismore during the COVID crisis, working hard to ensure they received timely surgical intervention at a time when the pandemic was impacting access to surgery.Dr Belot, RDAA president
"Dr Velovski also played a significant role in the medical response to this year’s devastating Northern Rivers floods disaster, working tirelessly to assist flood-impacted patients with medical supplies and wound management wherever she could reach them — even at service stations," Dr Belot said in her speech at the award function.
"Like so many doctors, Sue was stranded in the floods along with her community.
"She helped to move staff and [provide] sandbag practice at Ballina before realising that if she did not get out, she too may be in danger. For the next 10 days, the community was without food water and electricity.
"After the floods receded for the first time, there was much work to be done.
"For a start, many patients had dirty wounds and cuts, and Sue called on the help of general practitioners in the area to provide tetanus boosters to protect patients from developing tetanus, a potentially lethal condition.
"It was then that Sue found out from her GP colleagues that GPs are only allowed to stock five tetanus vaccines per month. Lismore and surrounding areas had hundreds of community members requiring tetanus shots.
Sue decided to use her contacts in RDAA to advocate for the community to get the treatment they needed.Dr Belot
Strength of advocacy
"A few phone calls to the Rural Doctors Association and 2000 tetanus shots were on their way," Dr Belot elaborated.
Sue understands the strength of advocacy and the benefit of allowing those in positions of power and influence to help in times of disaster.
Sue was asked to represent the Northern Rivers on the Natural Disaster Emergency Response Group, initially formed after the 2019 bushfires.
By being the committee member on the ground, she was able to advise over 60 influential bodies about what the community was going through during regular weekly meetings throughout the Emergency Response phases of the flood and through the last eight months.
An elected specialist member of the New South Wales Rural Doctors Association and a member of the New South Wales Australian Medical Association, Dr Velovski soon realised all these organisations could help the flood-ravaged communities in northern New South Wales.
Support for GPs
“Our organisations rang all the affected GP clinics to see how we could help. Some had lost their vaccination fridges in the floods, some their computer software, others everything.
"So we found donations and monies so that they could keep seeing their patients and look after the community.
For all those communities now experiencing floods, we strongly recommend the communities to continue to have regular GP checks, which is their primary care.Dr Velovski
"General Practitioners are the backbone of our community and keep our community out of hospital. Without them, patients suffer," Dr Velovski tells SBS Macedonian.
"Medicine is not just about patients in hospital... Our whole social being dictates our health.
"Our GPs have also helped us with the mental struggle that we have. As young adults, as parents with little kids, we wonder if this is going to happen again.
Dr Velovski adds that many GP practices were lost during the floods in Lismore and Ballina.
It was a devastating time we went through. When it first happens, everyone is in shock… We need to be together.
"Nowadays, instead of going to the GP to get their diabetes or blood pressure treated, patients are coming (into hospitals) with consequences of not being able to see their GP- no blood pressure tablets so patients are presenting with a mini stroke, a stroke or chest pain.
"It’s about looking after a village. And if we all look after each other, then we can try and get out of this situation better rather than just relying on the government… that’s what we have learnt," she says.
Dr Velovski at work. Credit: Sue Velovski
"It has been made artificially difficult because of the funding models from the Commonwealth and the state government.
"The GP practices are financed by the federal government, the state government finances our [local] hospital.
They haven’t received enough help. Again, it is complicated when it shouldn’t be. It shouldn't be difficult.Dr Velovski
"But, we have pushed in Lismore — not only me but all our organisations, the Rural Doctors Association of New South Wales, the Australian Medical Association.
We had two major disasters in less than 30 days. We can’t change that for Lismore. What we can change for the patients living in those communities is getting the government to step up and make medical services an essential service during a disaster," she elaborates.
"But for the largest [medical] practices in Lismore, there was little funding available... So, that makes it very, very difficult.
A speed limit sign nearly sunk in flood waters in NSW earlier this year. Credit: S.Velovski
Some of our senior GPs stopped working and have helped junior/younger GPs by cleaning up their practices, basically doing the building and reconstruction work. That’s not the best use of our doctors. But that’s how it is at the moment.
"So, we strongly encourage and say to the government, both state and federal, we need to stop playing that political football, get the money where is needed to help our patients have a GP they can go to, to look after their health," Dr Velovski asserts.
“We did not have water or power for over 10 days. But when everything came back, you know, for me, my mental health is exercise, but also cooking.
Household items lashed out of houses due to floods in NSW. Credit: Sue Velovski
"I helped with making maznik (traditional Macedonian pastry with cheese) and took it to the hospital. When it came to Easter, we made coloured Easter eggs, because it is just human, those little kids do not know what’s going on.
Everyone needs food, water and something to put a smile on their face every day.
"And that was really hard at the beginning, but we made a conscious effort to try and do that.
"And even sometimes, you know, with a thin piece of Macedonian shortbread, which the nurses love — they just needed a little pick-me-up.
"They are just happy that someone is understanding and saying, 'we value your work'. We need to do that as human beings, we need to look after each other," Dr Velovski signs off.
