Time for doc to say goodbye
AFTER more than 40 years, 59,000 patient files and a whole lot of ‘‘yarns’’, Invercargill clinic owner Dr Ajit Johri has hung up his stethoscope for the last time.
It has been 43 years since he and his wife Annabelle started their clinic at 69 Don St.
While Dr Johri said there was nothing more rewarding than seeing a patient recover, it was time for ‘‘the fantastic journey’’ to end — a retirement at 72.
‘‘I’ve just enjoyed every bit of it but I don’t think I could have done it without Mrs Johri by my side.
‘‘We’re companions — what she’s thinking, I’m thinking and we just get on with it.’’
The pair, both with medical backgrounds, had worked sidebyside from the beginning, seven days a week and often into the early hours of the morning due to demand.
‘‘We’ve never changed our focus, which is to provide topclass care.
‘‘We love our patients.’’ Originally from New Delhi, Dr Johri started as one of the few house surgeons at Southland Hospital in 1972.
From working as a junior then a senior house surgeon, he went on to become an orthopaedic and surgical registrar before adding to his extensive list of qualifications.
After taking over the clinic in 1977, he served in various outside roles, including becoming the official doctor for government departments, and working with almost every Southland sports team and their events, as well as for several major industries in the region.
While the list of awards he had earned, including an Officer Brother Order of St John, was significant, caring for his patients in Invercargill was the highlight of his career, he said.
‘‘We’ve often seen five generations of the same family through family medical care.
‘‘Everyone says they’ll miss the care but the yarns were the greatest part.’’
As well as the conversations, the laughs along the way had been the most memorable — especially the time a patient laughed so hard her dentures flew out and he caught them.
While his passion for sports medicine was farreaching, cycling had always held a special place in his heart.
‘‘We’ve seen cyclists fall all over the track — we fix them up and they go back on the track,’’ he said, laughing.
His involvement with Cycling Southland and hundreds of events at the Invercargill velodrome were a testament to his affinity for the sport.
As for what was next, the Johris would be retiring to Auckland to be closer to family.
However, there was no concern in Dr Johri’s mind that he would ever stop learning.