Peninsula Health’s new Clinical Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Nisha Khot, has a wealth of knowledge and ideas she’s keen to implement across the health service.
Dr Khot studied in India and has since worked in the United Kingdom and Australia, bringing a diverse background of experience to the role.
After completing her undergraduate and post graduate degree in India, Dr Khot moved to the United Kingdom where she had to retrain for a further seven years in Britain’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology training program.
“My theory has always been that whatever you do will only add to your knowledge and experience, so nothing is ever wasted,” she said.
“Having to retrain only added to my skillset, enabling me to observe problems in different ways and, in turn, allow me to pass on my learnings to those around me.”
Dr Khot migrated to Australia in 2010, originally taking up a position at the Werribee Mercy Hospital before being recruited to Bacchus Marsh Hospital as the Clinical Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, following a spate of newborn deaths & stillbirths associated with the hospital’s maternity ward in the years prior to 2015.
During her time at Bacchus Marsh Hospital, Dr Khot transformed the hospital’s maternity ward into one of the safest in Victoria. It was one of the first maternity wards in Australia to fulfil the requirements of the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority’s (VMIA) highest safety standards.
Dr Khot holds several leadership positions, including board memberships of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) and the Rural Doctors Association of Victoria (RDAV) and Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH). Dr Khot chairs the SIMG committee as well as the Gender Equity & Diversity Working Group at RANZCOG. She is an examiner for fellowship & advanced diploma exams in obstetrics & gynaecology.
Dr Khot is keen to start making changes and to consolidate current best practice models to ensure vital healthcare is easily accessible to women in the community.
“One of the first things on my list is to make sure we have a public gynaecology clinic within the hospital so that women aren’t forced to go into the private system or face long waiting times in the public system.”
“Our pregnancy clinics are wonderful but there’s always room for improvement. By having stronger learning pathways and team structures, our junior doctors will receive better training and our senior doctors will achieve better job satisfaction; giving our community the best care possible.”
“Multi-professional simulation team training is the foundation of quality and safety in maternity care. While midwives and obstetricians have trained together for many years, I am excited to spread this to include theatre teams as well as the emergency department.”
Peninsula Health Acting Chief Executive Helen Cooper said she was happy to have Dr Khot join the health service.
“We are thrilled to have Dr Khot on board and are excited to see where she steers our women’s health services,” she said.