The new female obstetrician at Hawkesbury Hospital has very soft hands, a wonderful attribute in her profession. She also has a twinkling smile and is a good listener.
Dr Richa Gulati came from India nine years ago and started at Hawkesbury in December last year after practising at hospitals at Liverpool, Campbelltown, Blacktown and Westmead.
After starting at Hawkesbury Hospital she moved to Richmond with her paediatric neurologist husband and their two children.
She loves her new workplace. “There’s more one-to-one care and more interaction with the patient here,” she said. “It’s a smaller unit. We have good bonds and relationships here.”
She has been popular since her arrival. She said many women have commented it’s great to have a female obstetrician.
She has been practising for 15 years, and last year was made a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Part of why she loves her job is that it requires her to be both a clinician and a surgeon.
On the surgery side she has trained in laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) and corrects prolapses, does hysterectomies, cyst removals, correction of endometriosis and ectopic pregnancies.
Dr Gulati is part of a trio of young obstetrician/gynaecologists at the hospital now, all in their early 40s and all trained in laparoscopy and endoscopy.
Dr Ralph Nader has been at the hospital for several years. He has a serious manner, but when he picks up a newborn for our photo, he can’t help his face erupting in a huge smile. It appears he’s in the right job.
Dr Nader was born here, and was actually named Ralph after the American consumer campaigner of the same name, as his parents admired him after seeing him speak out here.
Gesturing at the third obstetrician in their team, Dr Anmar Mariud, as well as Dr Galuti, Dr Nader said “we’re a very good, young team”.
“We all had the same training so we’re on the same page,” he said, explaining they have monthly meetings together to review difficult and high risk cases and get each other’s opinions.
All three have children under 10 – Dr Nader has three, and Dr Mariud has two.
“We’re keen to provide continuity of care, and we’ve had very good feedback,” Dr Nader said. “I like obstetrics – seeing couples through from conception, and building a relationship. It leads to good outcomes.”
Dr Mariud, with shining skin and a smattering of freckles, came to Australia 16 years ago and trained in Queensland. He said most births at Hawkesbury are attended by the midwives, with the obstetricians usually only called on for complex births or when things suddenly go wrong. “Most people deliver vaginally with the midwives,” he said.
Complications they are called for include bleeding after birth, abnormal foetal heart patterns, high blood pressure, instrumental deliveries, emergency caesars and all inductions.
He said the high risk patients they might see throughout their pregnancies would be those with high blood pressure, diabetes, or who are overweight.
He was particularly excited about the new equipment the hospital had obtained for their use, with more ordered and on the way.
Dr Nader said many people didn’t know that Hawkesbury has an obstetrician, anaesthetist and theatre staff available 24/7, so emergency births are always catered for – from 34 weeks onwards.
Dr Gulati said this made Hawkesbury unique in her experience, with the obstetrics and anaesthetics provided by senior medical staff, not juniors, rendering the public care at Hawkesbury similar to that of private patients.
All three said they loved Hawkesbury due to the lower volume of patients than bigger hospitals and the opportunity to work directly with patients, unlike large teaching hospitals where many junior doctors and other layers of carers are involved.
Dr Nader said there were fewer high risk patients here and patients were able to stay until they felt confident to go home – usually two to three days for vaginal births and four to five for caesars.
Maternity nursing unit manager Julie Austin said the takeover by St John of God and the new doctors and equipment all added up to an exciting future for their maternity services.
“It’s a really good time to be here, and I’ve been here 12 years,” she said, talking about the close relationship between the obstetricians and the midwives.
“Yes we’re just here to make Julie happy!” Dr Nader laughed.
