Dr Sazeed and his wife, Jennifer, arrived in town this week.

Dr Sazeed said he would begin working in the hospital this weekend and that he expected to start in the Kruger Medical Centre on Monday, November 14.

For the past two years Dr Sazeed has been working in Mt Gambier, South Australia, after the completing his most recent studies at the University of Woollongong where he did a Masters of Public Health. He did his first medical degree in Bangladesh.

Early next year he will be undertaking further studies and doing a post graduate degree to become a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practioners.

He said he first heard of the opening here through the Rural Doctors Network and that he had visited the town several times before deciding to move here.

“I like the clinic, the Kruger Medical Centre, and the people around here,” he said.

He also said that the Harden mayor, Chris Manchester, Harden Shire Council general manager Max Kershaw and Dr Hamid had all played a big role in convincing him to move to Harden Murrumburrah.

Harden Shire Council mayor Chris Manchester said that having Dr Sazeed come here was great boost for the town.

He said that in his opinion the town had been short of doctors for the past eight to 10 years and that Dr Sazeed’s arrival would greatly help solve that problem.

“With Dr Sazeed in town we’ll be able to have increased visiting medical officers at the hospital, which will greatly help secure the viability of hospital,” he said.

The shire had been working for a number of years to secure additional doctors for the town.

“We’ve been working with the Kruger Trust for a number of years to improve medical services in town,” he said.

“The building of the Kruger Medical Centre, which was funded by the Kruger Trust, has played a major role in this. Having a medical centre with state-of-the-art facilities has played a key role in helping bring a new doctor to town.”

Cr Manchester said having improved medical services in town would not only benefit all local residents but could also play a role in attracting other people to the area.