A GP has celebrated 30 years of service to the community by unveiling an ambitious plan to create a drop-in centre for his patients once he retires.
Dr Narayanan Rajan, 68, opened up his practice in Bedwas 30 years ago last month, and invited friends, colleagues and patients along recently to celebrate the anniversary.
While many thought he would be announcing his retirement, Dr Rajan instead revealed his plans to create a community drop-in centre.
From his beginnings in Bedwas with 100 patients, to a partnership with Abertridwr GP Dr Subhash Kaushal, and the taking over of a surgery in Llanbradach, Dr Rajan’s practice has responsibility for some 8,000 patients.
With a new medical centre planned for Llanbradach, the current building, next to the village’s community centre, will be surplus to requirements.
With retirement a possibility within the next few years, Dr Rajan has hatched a plan to raise £150,000 to buy the leasehold of the building and turn it into a centre for elderly patients and families with disabled children.
Dr Rajan explained: “It is them I will be setting it up for.
“The children and the elderly need help from the community and their families need help from the community.”
A charitable trust is currently being established to oversee the fundraising and a group Dr Rajan’s very first patients will be sitting on its board.
The first fundraising event planned will be a charity walk from Senghenydd to Llanbradach, to be held in July next year.
The aim is to have raised the money to buy the lease of the building, pictured below, when it goes up for sale and to have it refurbished and open as a centre by 2020.
