A note by Dr. Martin Borg MD MMCFD
In my daily family practice I am continuously asked by my patients advice about referral to one specialty or another for their various ailments and concerns. In this era of preventive medicine, common questions like; Why should I lose weight? How can I lose weight? Can you help me stop smoking? I am diabetic and / or hypertensive or have high blood cholesterol, what should I eat? What about this back pain? Is there anyone I can talk to help me cope with depression / anxiety? I am worried about my child's behavior or writing abilities? Can you direct me to someone who can help?
And last but not least, where can I reach you after hours???
It was always my wish and dream to be able to improve the services I offer to my patients however I was always sure that for this to succeed, it could never be a one- man show.
It was with this persistent thought at the back of my mind, that the project of St. Brigid''s was conceived. Inspired by my wife's name, and her constant encouragement to initiate such a project, this centre was named after a saint known to have strong healing powers.
This project started in March 2006 with the acquisition of a ground floor apartment in a modern part of the village where I practice, Gzira. The main aim was to provide a more comprehensive clinic facility to my patients. The place would also be of adequate size to allow fellow family doctors and professionals from different specialities and sub-specialities to help me around.
I always wished to have fellow family doctors and other specialists working close by me. A pediatrician, a dietitian, a physiotherapist, a speech language pathologist, both a child and adult psychologist, an occupational therapist, mid-wives, nurses, and professional aesthetic consultants, massage and aroma therapists would get to know my patients. They altogether in a spirit of teamwork would be in the most ideal position to offer a more comprehensive service in a one stop job.
It is my wish that fellow colleagues in family medicine joining me in this project will eventually form a group practice, where we would be in a position to provide an all round the clock service to patients registered in our practice. It would be the first private family practice in my area and I am hopeful of its success. [email protected]
