Lifetime Commitment to Aboriginal Health Earns GP National Recognition
15 Dec 2025
Dr Rajeshwary Krishnan, fondly called ‘Dr Raji’, has been named the RACGP’s 2025 GP of the Year, in recognition of more than four decades dedicated to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Her personal mantra, “Serve. Love. Care.”, has guided her practice throughout her career. “We have a gift, so we should use it to serve others,” Dr Raji told newsGP.
The award nomination highlighted her as “a true generalist delivering comprehensive primary care and devoted service to vulnerable Australians, particularly First Nations Peoples.”
Dr Raji currently co-leads the Pramana Medical Centre in Gosnells, Western Australia, where most patients are Aboriginal. Situated about 20 kilometres south of Perth on Nyoongar land, Gosnells is considered an area with significant healthcare needs, according to her daughter and practice co-director, Dr Priya Krishnan.
When they opened the clinic in 2020, the team consisted of only one nurse and a receptionist. Today, it has expanded to five GPs, four nurses, six allied health professionals, and a full administrative team, embodying Dr Raji’s vision of a collaborative, team-based healthcare model.
Dr Priya notes, “Aboriginal healthcare requires a team approach. While most ACCHOs run this effectively, our practice is sometimes more accessible for certain patients because of long-standing trust and familiarity with Mum.”
Even now, Dr Raji works seven days a week, often into the evening, demonstrating the same dedication she has shown since the start of her career.
Originally an obstetrician and gynaecologist in India, Dr Raji moved to Australia in the late 1970s. Because her credentials were not recognised here, she had to repeat her final years of medical training to qualify as a GP. During this time, she sent her young daughter back to India to live with her grandparents while she completed her studies.
Although she had hoped to return to obstetrics, Dr Raji instead focused on general practice, joining the local Aboriginal Medical Service in Gosnells, now Derbarl Yerrigan Medical Service, where she served full-time for 25 years. Her work included building long-term relationships across generations of patients. Later, she also contributed to palliative care and the 360 Street Doctor mobile clinic.
“She’s always passionate about diverse areas of healthcare, and her patients remain loyal because of the trust she has built,” says Priya.
For Dr Raji, the true reward is the difference she makes in people’s lives. “I may not be able to change the world, but I can make a meaningful impact on each person I meet. The gratitude of my patients is all the reward I need.”
News Source: RACGP
