City of Greater Geraldton to find new doctor after Mullewa GP confirms departure once replacement is found

The ongoing saga regarding Mullewa’s only GP is not over, with Dr Nalini Rao confirming she will step down once the City of Greater Geraldton has found a suitable replacement. Dr Rao on Monday said she had asked the City to advertise her position, but would try to stay until a longer-term replacement was secured “for as long as I can”. “My intention is not to leave the community without medical cover and I would be willing to work with the City in finding a replacement,” she said. Her reluctance to stay long term comes amid ongoing issues with the town’s power supply, dealing with weekly blackouts that leave her practice and pharmacy without electricity. On Tuesday, Dr Rao announced she had quit in protest over the power woes. A day later, she rescinded her resignation after talks with the City about her practice getting its own back-up generator. Dr Rao said the frequent blackouts were threatening her business viability as well as her medical licence, after insulin and vaccines that are temperature sensitive went without refrigeration. Acting as the town’s only GP, an emergency doctor and ambulance volunteer, if Dr Rao was to leave the community it could be a potentially dangerous vacancy. The City declined to comment.