Dr Prasanna Kumar starts as paediatrician at Cairns Private Hospital

Cairns Private Hospital says a new paediatrician will support maternity services amid staffing shortages following the retirement of a senior medical officer.

Cairns Private Hospital says a new paediatrician will support maternity services amid staffing shortages and ahead of the retirement of a senior medical officer later this year.

Dr Prasanna Kumar has worked in the Australian Medical Force for the past two decades and started this month ahead of veteran consultant Dr Tim Warnock retiring in June.

Dr Prasanna Kumar, new paediatrician at Cairns Private Hospital. Picture: Supplied.

Ben Tooth, Cairns Private Hospital chief executive, said the health care workforce had been hit hard by the pandemic.

“Cairns Private Hospital has recently appointed a new paediatrician to support its maternity service and are continuing efforts to recruit obstetricians to the region,” Mr Tooth said.

“Ramsay Health Care (parent company of Cairns Private Hospital) has been investing heavily in initiatives to attract, retain and upskill our health care workers to ensure we can continue to offer the best in patient care.”

CEO Cairns Private Hospital Ben Tooth. Photo: Isaac McCarthy.

In an effort to encourage career development of staff at Cairns Private, new training programs have been launched this year as part of the Ramsay Nursing and Midwifery Academy to train undergraduates to work as nurse practitioners and take on nursing management positions.

“This month, work started on a new $18m sterilising department and operating theatre development at Cairns Private Hospital,” Mr Tooth said.

Works were initially set to begin in November last year for the two-stage development, which is expected to open in June next year.

“Strengthening the hospital workforce will be an important focus as we bring this additional capacity online,” Mr Tooth said.

Samantha Olliver, a GP at True Relationships and Reproductive Health, provides shared care with the public system at her practice.

She said there were always concerns by clients who paid private health insurance.

General Practitioner at True Relationships and Reproductive Health Dr Samantha Olliver commented on the after effects of Covid on the workforce in antenatal health. Picture: Peter Carruthers

“What we are seeing in the antenatal space is we are now paying the price for Covid,” Dr Olliver said.

“Difficulties in accessing care, longer waiting lists, less staff overall.”

Ms Olliver added a lack of options in the private space caused unnecessary burden on the public system.

“A couple of years ago, it would have been half and half – other modes of care versus private. Even during Covid we had telehealth and other systems in place but now it feels like we don’t have enough workers in the force.”

Originally published as Dr Prasanna Kumar starts as paediatrician at Cairns Private Hospital