Thursday, 28 November 2024

 Steve DIMOPOULOS (Oakleigh – Minister for Environment, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Outdoor Recreation) (11:21): I rise to acknowledge two extraordinary people who have served the Oakleigh and broader communities for many years.

Dr John Malios, with 50 years of service on Warrigal Road, Oakleigh, served predominantly the Greek community as a general practitioner. His sister Helen worked in reception, and his nephew Anthony has taken over the practice over the last few years. He has been there since the 1970s, a calm, wise, empathetic GP. He got involved in with, among many other things, Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia. He became the convener of medical panels in Victoria – an extraordinary contribution.

The second doctor in Oakleigh I want to acknowledge is Dr Hun Khoon Ng. He passed away a few weeks ago, and I want to pass on my thanks and condolences to his family. He was on North Road, Oakleigh. His daughter now runs the practice. He was a migrant to this country, with a warm, huge smile and a no-nonsense approach. Nothing was too much of a burden for Dr Ng. He spoke Greek – he learned Greek through his Greek patients. It was fantastic to have this beautiful Chinese Australian doctor who spoke Greek.

Those two doctors served along with many others, but I am acknowledging those two in my community because they were my local doctors. They were not just GPs; they were rocks of the community. They battled, on behalf of their patients, Centrelink and government services. They became confidants. They became counsellors. They really supported the community over many decades.