It’s been a complete changeover at Narrandera Medical Centre with new owners, new doctors and nurse at the Narrandera Medical Centre. The new owners are Dr Rutee Kanthi Wijesuriya and Chitrananda “Karu” Karunarathne. Dr Rutee graduated in Sri Lanka and had nearly two decades of medical experience there, working in both hospital and general practice settings including cardiology, anaesthesia, surgery and family medicine. After moving to Australia, she began working in rural NSW in Wee Waa, where she fell in love with the rural lifestyle and community spirit. She completed her Fellowship (FRACGP) in 2016 and now owns and practices at Bundeena Family Practice and Yarrawarrah Medical Practice, while also supervising and mentoring GP registrars. Chitrananda Dr “Karu” is an engineering graduate (BSc Eng) from Sri Lanka with decades of experience as a civil engineer and consultant. He currently manages two engineering firms in Sri Lanka and has been co-owning and managing the two medical practices here in Australia since 2016, supporting Rutee and the team in practice management. Together, they are passionate about healthcare, community and continuous improvement in medical service delivery. They both love good music, spending time outdoors and enjoying life with their wonderful family - a son, who is an engineer, and a daughter, who recently graduated as a doctor and is currently completing her internship. “We are genuinely excited about this next chapter and truly honoured to become part of the Narrandera community. Our hope is to contribute meaningfully by continuing the great work already done and by bringing more healthcare professionals and services to this beautiful town.” The new practice is planning to hold a stall at the Spring Fair in Narrandera this Saturday which will be a chance to say hello. The new doctors are: Dr Vindy who lived in Wollongong and worked in Bundeena NSW as a GP for about a year. She is originally from Sri Lanka. Her interests and specialties are chronic disease management, men’s health, preventative medicine, child health/paediatrics and travel medicine. She is enjoying the calm and slowness and the beautiful night sky without any light pollution in Narrandera. Dr Vindy enjoys travelling, driving and sight-seeing and loves to hang out with friends. Dr Sacchini qualified with a medical degree in Sri Lanka in 1996 and subsequently gained extensive experience across various fields of medicine. After 22 years of medical practice she moved to Ballarat in Victoria where she worked as a GP for more than five years before relocating to Narrandera. She is a General Practitioner with special interest in geriatric medicine, skin conditions women’s and men’s health, paediatrics and mental health Dr Sacchini is enjoying Narrandera’s friendly people, the quiet and calm environment and beautiful scenery. Is there anything about living /working in Narrandera that you have found unexpected? “Everyone has been so welcoming and friendly,” she said. In her spare time she enjoys reading, travelling and being with family and friends. Before her move to Narrandera she lived on the central coast and worked at Gosford and Wyong hospitals. “I have worked across many specialty areas including paediatrics, emergency medicine, general medicine and geriatrics. I am originally from Sri Lanka,” she said. While she enjoys all aspects of general practice, with a particular passion for children’s health, women’s health, preventative medicine and chronic disease management she is also have a keen interest in skin cancer checks, minor surgical procedures and wound care. “My previous hospital experience especially in paediatrics has given me a strong interest in caring for children and supporting families. I believe in providing compassionate patient centred care and building long term relationships with my patients,” she said. Dr Sacchini is enjoying the town’s peaceful lifestyle, beautiful surroundings and relaxed community. “Coming from a busy coastal area I appreciate the relaxed atmosphere and the opportunity to get to know people. Everyone has been very welcoming and I’m looking forward to becoming a part of the local community,” she said. “I have been pleasantly surprised by how welcoming and supportive everyone has been. I also enjoy the strong sense of community, where people genuinely look out for one another. It has been a lovely experience settling into a country town both personally and professionally.” Outside of work she loves spending quality time with her husband and their two young children. “We enjoy exploring new places, going on family outings and spending time outdoors. I also enjoy cooking, travelling and making special memories with my family.” New Registered Nurse Nawanjana came to Narrandera from Hervey Bay in Queensland Her work areas of interest/specialty are geriatric and theatre nursing. She loves the beautiful people and friendly staff she has encountered in Narrandera. In her spare time she enjoys watching movies and gardening.
