Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan): I recently attended the inaugural gathering and celebrations by the organisation named Malayalee Doctors of Victoria—MDV—Incorporated. The Malayalee community comes from the southern state of India called Kerala. The Malayalee community is very learned and accomplished, and this association is a key example of their great work. Medical doctors hailing from Kerala were present on this special occasion to acknowledge and appreciate each other’s work. The cultural entertainment was fantastic, particularly by Janaki Easwar, the youngest ever participant of TV show The Voice.
I was pleased to know that MDV was founded to extend social support, offer networking, undertake charitable activities, provide support to immigrant communities and conduct community activities in the state of Victoria. They have built a great system for the community to explore their roots, cultural values, ethics, health and wellbeing, as they all share a common cultural background and language. Such support is vitally important for doctors, as they experience anxiety, depression and burnout significantly more than the general population. The overwhelming pressures of health care often create mental health issues for many doctors. We all know that doctors, along with other healthcare staff, have played the most crucial role in supporting us during the pandemic. I congratulate the committee and members of MDV and commend their efforts.