Kloof dedicated doctor retires
Kloof general practitioner bids farewell to his practice of 48 years.
AFTER more than 40 years of keeping families in the Highway Area well, Doctor Michael Westbrook hung up his stethoscope as he has retired. Speaking to the Highway Mail from his offices at Village Healthcare in Kloof, Dr Westbrook took us down memory lane into his life as a general practitioner and his building of solid working relationships with the community.
After graduating in 1975 from the University of Pretoria, Dr Westbrook remembers his various jobs before 1978, when he joined Drs Tickey Hallot and Don Raw in Pinetown.
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“I spent 17 years of real general practice, followed by delivering babies at St Mary’s Hospital, helping with Caesarean sections, assisting surgeons and gynaecologists, and giving anaesthetics at St Mary’s and the Pinetown Surgical Clinic in Hill Street. House calls were commonplace, and night calls to the surgery to treat severe asthma attacks were frequent. Sadly, that stimulating, exciting and satisfying part of GP practice no longer exists,” he said.
In 1996, Dr Westbrook relocated to Loudon Park in Kloof. In 2000, Village Healthcare was formed with Dr Jackie Paton who is a chiropractor and Caron MacKenzie and later Eileen Murray.
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Dr Westbrook said his career has been filled with different patients whom he was happy to treat and maintain long-term relationships with. He will be handing over his practice to Dr Konrad Dorfling whom he describes as an experienced general practitioner who has been in Entabeni Hospital for 25 years.
“I am sad to be leaving wonderful patients and friends, but I have confidence in Dr Dorfling that he will be well-equipped to treat my patients. I leave the practice with mixed feelings because of the relationships and friendships I have built over the years,” he said. Dr Westbrook said he is set to move to Paarl in the Western Cape where he will spend his time resting and pursuing his interests.
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