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Believe it or not ...
A young doctor had a dream - that one day Cairns would have a top class medical service operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
 In 1992, undeterred by obstacles, he set out with only a battered briefcase, an old fishing tackle box and a huge
mobile phone, and called himself the Cairns Hotel Doctor Service.
Wanting to make medical care accessible to all, his message was slow to spread among the public at large. His
entire patient list consisted of visitors to the city's hotels and motels.
"It didn't matter what the problem was," says the doctor. "I would be at the end of the phone,
ready to deal with it, 24 hours a day."
Being prepared to make home visits day or night wasn't enough, so the following year, the
Cairns Hotel Doctor Service opened a general practice at the Wallamurra Medical Centre in Abbott Street Cairns.
The young doctor found himself constantly short of sleep and friendship, because anyone in
Cairns could now go to the doctor or have a home visit, 24 hours a day. Two years later another doctor joined the service. It was a relief. Three years was a very long time for one doctor to be
constantly on call. Together, the two doctors provided visitors and locals with their distinctly "Cairns style" of 24 hour medical assistance.
Demand skyrocketed, so the business moved to its current location on the corner of Florence and Grafton Streets in the CBD and adopted its new title of "Cairns 24 Hour Medical Centre".
They provide almost every medical service available and bulk bill all consultations.
The centre later added Japanese consultations, a service for those wanting medicals before
taking scuba diving courses, vaccinations, emergency care, Work Cover and pre-employment medicals - all 24/7.
One day a call came from Airlie Beach asking if a similar service could be set up. With his
usual gusto, the young doctor dedided to give it a go. The Airlie Beach practice has been another success story in medical care.
Shortly afterwards, a third practice opened in Townsville and a second comprehensive medical centre is due to open in Cairns in May 2004.
The Mulgrave Road Medical Centre will incorporate the best of medical care including dental, pathology, X-ray, pharmacy and physiotherapy services.
"Expansion has come as a direct result of our success - due to public demand. It's staggering to think we have grown from such small beginnings to seeing more than 7000 patients a week,
but we still consider personal attention is the key to any good practice."
"Our motto is to provide whatever the public requires in health terms, in a timely and professional manner."
The same young doctor who started the service is still there - a little older and much wiser. Unfortunately, the old briefcase, fishing tackle box and mobile phone, never made it. They got lost along the way.
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