Married Mount Isa medical duo recognised with AMA Queensland awards

Dr Orda received the Rural Health Medal and Mrs Orda the Excellence in Health Care Medal at AMA Queensland’s Dinner for the Profession on Friday 24 May.

“Since their arrival in Mount Isa from Germany 20 years ago, Sabine and Uli have made a massive contribution to medical education and rural health,” AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim said.

“Sabine, an experienced nurse and diabetes educator, initially worked at McDonalds to get an Australian referee report as her German credentials were not recognised here.

“As Principal Medical Education Officer at Mount Isa Base Hospital since 2010, Sabine has played a critical role in making the hospital a leading rural training and education facility for medical students, interns, prevocational doctors and rural generalist registrars.

“Uli, a GP and rural generalist, also struggled to have his registration approved on arrival due to a technicality, which was magically resolved when medical services were urgently needed in the floodstricken community of Karumba in 2009.

“He is the Director of Emergency and Director of Clinical Teaching at Mount Isa Base Hospital, has served the communities of Doomadgee, Normanton and Mornington Island, and is a tireless campaigner for better working conditions for rural doctors.

“They have been pillars of support for the North-West Queensland community and each other, no more so than in 2020 when their son Lukas, a veterinary surgeon and new father, was lost in the capsize of a live export vessel off the coast of Japan.

“Sabine and Uli Orda are most worthy recipients of the AMA Queensland Excellence in Health Care and Rural Health Medals respectively.”

Three other awards were made on the night.

The inaugural Doctor in Training Medal was awarded to Dr Nikhil Dwivedi, a junior doctor at Princess Alexandra Hospital with degrees in law, commerce, arts and medicine from Cambridge, Curtin, Sydney and Bond universities.

“Nikhil has been published in journals and presented at international conferences and meetings,” Dr Yim said.

‘He leads multiple research projects, actively supervises medical students, and lectures in medical law and ethics at Bond University.

“In his spare time, he volunteers for the St John’s Ambulance and his local Hindu temple, and at the monthly dermatology clinic at the Inala Indigenous Health Service.”

The Distinguished Supporter Member was awarded to Dr Peter Isdale. This award goes to an individual who is not a medical practitioner yet has given honourable and substantial service to the medical profession in Queensland.

“Peter is a long-term supporter of AMA Queensland who has contributed greatly over the past six years as a Board Director and Chair of the Governance Committee,” Dr Yim said.

“AMA Queensland’s governance and organisation is stronger because of his insightful and considered contributions, and he is generous with his time and experience.

“Peter is not a medical professional. In his words, the only registration he holds is for an old Subaru. He is a marine scientist who swapped his wetsuit for a business suit and now works with organisations to solve strategic and organisational dilemmas.”

Past AMA Queensland President Professor Chris Perry was formally inducted into the federal AMA Roll of Fellows.

“Chris was nominated for his outstanding service to and leadership of AMA Queensland, his contribution to the federal AMA as a Councillor, and his distinguished service to medicine, particularly Indigenous health and ear nose and throat (ENT) research,” Dr Yim said.

“Chris is a distinguished consultant surgeon in adult and paediatric head and neck surgery, the co-founder of the Deadly Ears program and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Australian Army Reserve.

“He was President of AMA Queensland from 2020 to 2022 – a term that was dominated by COVID-19, PPE shortages, lockdowns, border closures and vaccine mandates.

“Chris used his voice to argue for the need for public health measures, no matter how unpopular that made him with sections of the community, and for sense and compassion in how border closures and hotel quarantine were implemented, no matter how unpopular that made him with state authorities.

“He is an earnest and passionate advocate for doctors, patients and the most vulnerable Australians. He cares as much for his patients in prison as those in private practice.”

Full citations for each award recipient are available here.