News

New oncologist recruited for Mildura

Feb 21, 2014

Cancer treatment services are continuing to expand in Mildura, with the addition of a new Oncologist and General Physician to the team at the Mildura Base Hospital and Ramsay Specialist Clinic.

It's the first time Mildura has been served by a locally based specialist oncologist who will be supervising the treatment of both public and private patients.

Dr Divyanshu Dua arrived in Mildura this week. He will provide a locally based service in addition to those already provided by Physician Dr Terry Cook and visiting oncologists from Bendigo and Melbourne.

The hospital's Chief Executive Officer Dane Huxley said it would mean fewer patients would need to travel out of town for treatment.

"Previously, some cancer patients have had to combine treatment in Mildura with travel to either Bendigo, Adelaide or Melbourne," Mr Huxley said.

"The arrangement has worked well, but the addition of Dr Dua will allow more Oncology and General Physician services to be provided locally, minimising the need for patients to travel."

Dr Dua has relocated with his young family to Mildura, after working in London.

He is a Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Physician with speciality training in Medical Oncology. He has over 7 years experience of working in General Medicine across India, United Kingdom and Australia. He has been trained in South Australia and worked with major tertiary teaching hospitals such as Royal Adelaide Hospital, Flinders Medical centre and Lyell McEwin Hospital. He has completed 12 months of research fellowship with experience in early phase clinical trials; drug development and mediastinal tumours .His last placements included Guys Hospital, London and Sarah Cannon Research institute, London.

Dr Dua intends to pursue research in medical oncology with special interests in lung, genitourinary, melanoma drug development.

The addition of Dr Dua comes after the expansion of the Mildura Base Hospital Oncology Department last year. The half-million dollar upgrade tripled the size of the Oncology Department and doubled the number of chemotherapy chairs to eight.

The Mildura Base Hospital's Cancer Care Co-ordinator Narelle Wadsworth said the recruitment of an oncologist for Mildura was a major step forward for patients.

"We are fortunate to have wonderful services from Dr Cook and from visiting oncologists from Bendigo and Melbourne and that will continue," Ms Wadsworth said.

"For patients needing radiation treatment and some other levels of treatment, they will still need to travel away for at least a part of their treatment.

"But having Dr Dua based here will definitely mean more people can receive chemotherapy or monitoring here at home, and for many people that is a really important aspect of their treatment and recovery."