A large crowd turned up at the Booleroo Centre Bowling Clubrooms to farewell beloved doctor Isaac Olaniyi, his wife Bisi and young daughter Faith.
Dr. Olaniyi has been based in Booleroo Centre for the past two years and has practised at both the Booleroo Centre and Orroroo District Hospitals and Medical Centres. Trevor Roocke welcomed everyone before Lisa Vogelsang, the Practice Manager at both Booleroo and Orroroo Medical Centres, spoke. She said it had been a pleasure to work with the three Doctors across both hospitals, Dr. Simon Stilgoe (Booleroo), Dr. Jenny Wilson (Orroroo) and Dr. Isaac Olaniyi (both hospitals).
On behalf of both towns, she said they would miss him very much and wished him all the best as he takes up a further challenge in Adelaide.
Representing the Mid North Health Advisory Council, Mr. Roocke wished Dr. Olaniyi well and thanked him for his care and support for the whole area, and said Council had really appreciated his work.
Director of Nursing at Orroroo Hospital, Joan Luckraft, on behalf of the staff and community, said they all wished he would change his mind, but hoped he would tell everyone Orroroo was a good place to be a Doctor! They have really appreciated Dr. Olaniyi, especially his smile, laugh and compassion for his patients and their families.
Ian Clarke spoke for the ambulance services, saying they had appreciated his approachability, cheerfulness and interaction with patients, and would miss him as moves on with his career. Director of Nursing at Booleroo Hospital, Julie Arthur, on behalf of the Booleroo Centre Health Service and the whole community, said they had been very fortunate to recruit Isaac.
She thought Booleroo must have been a shock to the family, after working in Queensland when they first arrived in Australia from Nigeria.
Bisi, a young mother with Faith only two- years-old, joined in the community, loved singing in Church and gained her drivers' licence - this was no mean feat in a new and strange country, and there are some funny stories about driving lessons!
Bisi had completed a Psychology degree in Nigeria and plans to undertake further study in Adelaide. She has been working at United Wesley Care in Port Pirie.
Mrs. Arthur said it had been fantastic to work with Isaac, who had shown nothing was too trouble for him, and his beaming smile and laugh would be remembered.
Dr. Olaniyi was presented with a beautiful photographic picture from both Orroroo and Booleroo communities as a reminder of his time in the north.
He responded, saying he had really enjoyed his time in both communities and would always remember the way he and his family had been welcomed into the practice, and he had been happy working with Dr. Simon Stilgoe.
He thanked everyone for coming and sharing the evening with him and his family, before presenting a lovely plaque to the Hospital as a way of saying 'thank you all.'
Email a friend