THE signficiant contributions of two doctors to healthcare in the Derwent Valley have been honoured by the Derwent Valley Medical Centre. The main sections of the Burnett St building are now named the Dr Ralph Peters Wing and the Dr Annette Douglas Wing.
Speaking at a ceremony to unveil the new nameplates, Dr Peters said recent renovations which have seen his former consulting rooms fully incorporated into the medical centre were a continuation of the improvement in medical care in the Derwent Valley since he arrived from South Africa in 1968.
He congratulated the centre on its role in training medical students and said it was fitting that the facility was situated in the precinct of the New Norfolk District Hospital.
Dr Douglas referred to the difficulties involved in establishing the centre and paid tribute to the founding role of Dr Nick Hummel, from whom she had taken over. She said patients generally responded better in a comfortable environment and she was certain this would be even better in the newly-renovated centre.
One of the present owners, Dr Lester Pepingco, mentioned being hired by Dr Douglas and congratulated her on establishing several medical centres. He also acknowledged Dr Peters as being Australia’s oldest general practitioner, aged 92, at the time of his retirement three years ago.
The Derwent Valley Medical Centre occupies a building in the grounds of the New Norfolk District Hospital and once served as the Nurses Home, providing accommodation for hospital staff. The Dr Annette Douglas Wing consists of the rooms closest to Burnett St and the extension that was built under her ownership. The Dr Ralph Peters Wing consists of the rooms that were occupied by his own medical practice from the late 1980s until his retirement in 2019, and have now been incorporated into the larger facility.
Picture: Doctors Annette Douglas, left, Ralph Peters and Lester Pepingco at the Derwent Valley Medical Centre.
