Balclutha general
practitioner and Otago District Health Board member Dr Branko
Sijnja has been appointed director of the University of
Otago's Rural Medical Immersion Programme.
The position was previously held by Dr Pat Farry, who died
suddenly last year.
Dr Sijnja, who was born in Holland and moved to New Zealand
as a child, has been a GP in Balclutha for 30 years, and he
was closely involved with setting up the community
owned-and-operated hospital and health centre in Balclutha.
For 10 years he taught medical students in rural general
practice and rural hospitals, and he has worked as a rural
co-ordinator within the immersion programme.
The immersion programme, under which some medical students
complete part of their training in a rural setting, gave
students invaluable hands-on experience in smaller hospitals
and practices, he said.
Dr Sijnja said he was committed to working towards further
integration of community and hospital level care in the rural
community.
- elspeth.mclean@odt.co.nz
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