Years of learning, months of planning, days of packing and moments of joy are part of the journey Dr Dulip Dissanayaka and his wife, Deepani embraced to build a life in Australia that could support a positive work/life balance and their children’s future. 

Hearing birdsong in the quiet tree-lined street of their house in Taree still sparks moments of reflection on the contrast between the Manning Valley and other places he has called home including Singapore, Sri Lanka and the Middle East.  

“They are very congested cities, so most of the time I worked alone, with my family being in Sri Lanka,” Dr Dissanayaka explains.  

Gesturing to the street outside the home he says, “about 6.30pm all the lights are off and there is no single vehicle sound, so you can be calm and quiet.” 

“I wanted to have a good professional life balance and Australia is a well-reputed country with a good health system.” 

The decision to choose Australia stemmed from feedback about the skilled migration process from other university colleagues, and so the couple began the search to find the right medical practice. A search that ultimately delivered Mid Coast residents’ access to another much-needed doctor at Access Health Care Wingham. 

Mid Coast residents are intimately aware of the need for more doctors as many medical practices have closed their books to new patients, and it is common to wait weeks for a GP appointment.  

Medical practices choose to use international recruitment agencies to attract doctors because the number of university students deciding to specialize in general practice medicine does not meet current or forecast demand for services. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) plays a key role in supporting doctors to come to Australia and last year it engaged with 3000 RACGP members to produce the Health of the Nation Report 2024.  

Positive workforce trends reflected in the report’s findings include that 73 per cent of GPs are satisfied with their job, an increase from 66 per cent in 2023. 

“Australia’s health system is the envy of the world – and general practice is at the heart,” RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said at the launch of the report in Canberra in October 2024. 

Heart played a part in Dr Dissanayaka’s choice to take-up the offer from Access Health Care Wingham. He says many colleagues choose an area in Australia and then look for a medical practice.  

“I did it the other way around. I looked to my workplace first to see if it would be good.” 

Dr Dissanayaka valued the flexibility of work offered by Access Health Care Wingham and the additional support offered during the lengthy process to complete the skilled migration requirements, and to work through the many challenges involved in setting up to live and work in a new country.  

Access Health Care Wingham invested in the Mid Coast Community Connector Program, and it opened the door for Dr Dissanayaka to engage with Community Connector, Kate Dunn. The pair cultivated a professional relationship “that made an enormous positive difference to my experience of working while also trying to find a place to live and learning how to set up so many things in Australia,” Dr Dissanayaka explains. 

A snapshot of the services provided to Dr Dissanayaka through the program included transportation from Sydney to Taree, support to find housing, identifying schooling options for his children and arranging enrolment, identifying extra-curricular options, support to access government services and set-up accounts, linking to community groups as well as social and professional networks. 

Dr Dissanayaka says Kate “removed so much stress” and “gave me a very comprehensive introduction to the area.” 

For the first three months Dr Dissanayaka lived without his family, working at the medical practice while also preparing for the arrival of Deepani and their children, Lisali and Lithula. 

Each day he had one-hour during the lunch break to try to visit real estate agents, schools, agencies, shops, or locations that may be of interest and value to his family. 

“Kate came to the practice many times to help, to pick me up and visit real estate agents, to open a bank account, to collect paperwork. When I messaged her, she would call me back and ask, ‘How can I help you?’  

“Without this program, without Kate, there would be so many things that I would not know to do, or how to do. Kate is the ideal person to do this job as she loves her work and communication is excellent. She knows everything about the area, and she loves living here.” 

Dr Dissanayaka’s house is now home to his family and the loneliness he experienced during their time apart gifts him a deep appreciation of how the program also supported his mental health. 

“I think this is a very good program otherwise people may end up with depression because no-one is here in the house, and we don’t know anyone in the town.  

“Kate even brought me to the neighbouring houses and introduced myself to them! My neighbours are very nice, and they even cooked me food and gave it to me when I was on the lawn. It was very kind.” 

Looking forward, Dr Dissanayaka and Deepani are hopeful about their future. It includes plans to buy a vehicle, a home and importantly, for Deepani to also complete the RACGP requirements to enable her to work as a General Practitioner. 

Deepani looks to the future with a positive mindset but is cognisant of her mixed emotions. 

“This area is really beautiful, and I love its calmness. Our main purpose of coming to Australia was for our kids’ education and their future,” Deepani shares. 

“But I am missing my parents and loved ones and initially I felt a bit isolated because we do not yet have friends. In Sri Lanka we had a good community, and everybody knows us.” 

The Mid Coast Community Connector Program also plays a role in supporting people to build friendships. 

Dr Dissanayaka shares that Kate has worked to connect their family with groups and communities, providing introductions or information about clubs and activities that may interest them or the children, such as cricket and dance. In time, he says they will also attend one of the Mid Coast Community Connector Dinners. 

“We are very fortunate and look forward to becoming part of this community.”