AMA Queensland members honoured in Australia Day awards

Congratulations to the following members who were recognised in the Australia Day Awards.

Dr Dinesh PALIPANA OAM is the Queensland recipient of Australian of the Year for 2021. As co-founder of Doctors with Disabilities Australia, Dinesh has worked with the Australian Medical Association Queensland to create first-of-kind national policies for inclusivity in medical education and employment.

Dr Kevin William VANDELEUR has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to ophthalmology, and to the international community.

After completing ophthalmology training in 1983, Dr Vandeleur participated in post-graduate studies in Canada, USA, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. His primary interests include cataract, refractive surgery, vitreo-retinal and retinal detachment surgery. Dr Vandeleur has a special interest in developing countries and has made many visits to East Timor, Kiribati and Myanmar to educate and perform surgery.

Dr Christopher Robert SCHULL was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to thoracic and tropical medicine, and to the community.

Judith Ann SCHULL was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to community health in the tropics, particularly in Papua New Guinea.

Dr Chris Schull’s book Common Medical Problems in the Tropics has been distributed to doctors, nurses and health workers in developing countries around the globe, who, in Dr Schull’s words, “often have no textbooks, no laboratory services and rarely have the help of any consultant but are confronted daily with complex problems and life-threatening situations”. The AMA Queensland Foundation donated $40,000 to produce Common Medical Problems in the Tropics.