The Burns Lake Medical Clinic has welcomed a new doctor in its fold, starting September of this year.
Dr. Deon Botha, a family doctor and General Physician, has started at the clinic on Sept. 14.
“My best buddy is here, and we have been talking about working together for a long period of time, and finally it’s realized. Also, stuff in Alberta had started looking a little grey and so this was a perfect time for me,” said Botha, who has his practice in Ardrie, Alberta.
In 2000, Botha moved from Pretoria, South Africa, to Canada. Upon coming to the country, Botha also had his best buddy, Dr. Chris Annandale working here, who was also the reason for Botha’s move to Burns Lake. Annandale and Botha have known each other since the time in Africa when Botha was 12 years old.
“It only took me eight years to get him to come here, but now he is!” said Dr. Chris Annandale, in an email to Lakes District News.
Botha will be working for two weeks every month in Burns Lake but said that he eventually planned to move his work completely to Burns Lake.
“I work two weeks in town and two weeks out. Most doctors are doing this. But my kids are still studying and I don’t want to uproot them right now,” he said. Botha is planning to wrap things up in Alberta with his practice in the next three-four months and said “most probably I will just end up working in Burns Lake for the rest of the time.”
Botha came down in March to meet everyone and get a hang of the place. He was here for a week and then had to go through getting BC medical license stuff sorted. So he took the six months, got his documentation in place and decided to join in September.
“I love it here; I enjoy the work and I love the outdoors so I really like it here,” he said, adding that he already had plans to play golf, squash and go mountain biking.
“Deon is one of the best doctors I have had the privilege of working with through the years. His approach to medicine is very academical but he is a real human being, an excellent sportsman, a dedicated family man, and I have no doubt that the people of Burns Lake will quickly learn that he is a quality human being and an excellent physician,” said Annandale.
Patients can now call the Burns Lake Medical Clinic to book their appointments with Dr. Botha.
Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar
priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net
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