COVID-19 vaccine in Ballarat: Lotus Family Clinic delivers big jab targets

By Melanie Whelan
April 23 2022

A new Delacombe medical clinic stepped up to offer in-home COVID-19 jabs in a time when many were too busy or concerned about the prospect amid pandemic uncertainty. Lotus Family Clinic has since delivered more than 10 per cent of homebound doses in the national-coordinated program. This has included taking COVID-19 vaccinations in the region's private aged care homes, second only to Grampians Health which is responsible for care in state-run residential facilities.

The clinic's medical director and general practitioner Sachin Dahiya said his clinic was focused on how they could best give back to community and help protect at-risk people from COVID-19.

"Mel Connolly [practice manager] and I met with staff and agreed on how we could help out," Dr Dahiya said. "We decided sometimes you have to give back to the community and this was a time when no-one was really eager to be out and going into homes."
Lotus Family Clinic opened in early June, one week before lockdown. Dr Dahiya said the in-home program was also a good way for staff in the multi-disciplinary clinic to get to know the community better.

The clinic began homebound vaccinations in November and since then has delivered more than two-thirds of in-home jabs to Ballarat's most vulnerable people. Homebound vaccinations are part of a Western Victoria Primary Health Network program, funded by the federal government.

People eligible for the in-home jabs include the elderly or frail or people with a disability who were unable to leave home. Those experiencing homelessness or ethnically or linguistically diverse communities who find it hard to access mainstream services are also eligible.

Lotus Family Clinic started offering COVID-19 winter boosters this month and continued to step up children's COVID-19 jabs having delivered about 800 to five to 11-year-olds in the past two months.

Dr Dahiya said the clinic had good paediatric staff who were known for causing "hardly any tears".

Lotus Family Clinic has also been able to achieve its first accreditation under The Australian College of General Practitioners' requirements within six months, a task that typically takes new clinics 12 months to complete.