Public overwhelmed with Castlecliff's new medical centre

Community gathered at Castlecliff Health opening. Photo/ Lewis Gardner

No mucking around seems to be the motto Whanganui doctor Praveen Thadigiri preaches.

After an opening ceremony that attracted around 300 people on Saturday, the staff at Castlecliff Health kicked straight into gear at the clinic's new site on Rakau Rd Monday morning.

The old site, on Carson St, closed Friday midday.

Co-owner Dr Thadigiri told the Chronicle on Monday patients were being seen as we speak.

"We have received a heartening response from the community and it has made us proud to have made a contribution to the community and city," Dr Thadigiri said.

He said every single person that attended the opening had congratulations to offer.

"They appeared to be stunned by the premises itself. Some went to the extent to say that they hadn't seen general practice clinics of this nature in their lives."

Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall attended the opening ceremony and said it was great to see such a positive gathering.

"It's really important for the Castlecliff community to have a health clinic and it's great Praveen managed to find a site that worked for him," Mr McDouall said.

Dr Thadigiri said the only area of concern had been the telecommunications but that was expected to be sorted soon.

"It means our phone lines are being diverted to a cell phone until our provider is able to get the lines operational.

"But our internal systems are up and running and everything else has been running smoothly."