FULFILLING CLINICAL, ACADEMIC & RESEARCH GOALS IN GENERAL PRACTICE Leading public discussion on healthcare policy and the future of general practice
With
Dr Ramya Raman FRACGP, MBBS,
BSSc (Hons), Dip Children’s Health , Dip Women’s Health, GAICD &
RACGP Vice President & WA Chair
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | June 2026
Dr Ramya Raman is a Specialist General Practitioner, medical educator, and health policy leader. Raised in Orange in Central West NSW, where she lived for over 15 years, she brings a deep, lived understanding of rural and community healthcare to her work.
Now based in Perth for nearly two decades, she is the Director of The Garden Family Medical Clinic in Piara Waters, where she continues in clinical practice and leads a modern, forward-thinking teaching practice. She is also Discipline Head of General Practice at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, leading the training of future doctors.
Dr Raman is an experienced board director with a strong focus on governance, strategy, and health system reform. She currently serves as Chair of RACGP WA and Vice President of the RACGP nationally.
She has built a national profile as a leading advocate for patient safety and evidence-based reform, and is a confident media communicator, regularly contributing to public discussion on healthcare policy and the future of general practice.
Recognised as RACGP WA GP of the Year (2020) and AMA (WA) Advocate of the Year (2024), her leadership is driven by a clear principle: strengthening general practice is essential to strengthening Australia’s health system.
Source: Supplied
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Medicinal cannabis in Australia Update
According to the Australian Journal of General Practice, published by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, more than 130,000 medicinal cannabis approvals have been issued in Australia to date, mostly by general practitioners, with approximately 65% of these to treat chronic non-cancer pain. Despite robust supportive data from animal models, current clinical trial evidence for THC and CBD efficacy in chronic pain is incomplete. In their prescribing decisions, doctors must balance patient demand and curiosity with caution regarding potential risks and limited efficacy.
Australian Health Journal met with 3 speakers at the recent ARCS22 Conference providing an update on medicinal cannabis. The discussion with the speakers now centres on affordability and access.
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Significant funding announced for NSW biomedical researchers
The Snow Medical Research Foundation (Snow Medical) has announced a new $24 million investment in three outstanding Australian biomedical researchers through its prestigious Snow Fellowships.
These Fellows will tackle major global health challenges spanning autoimmune disease, neurological disorders, and genetic disease. Their work addresses conditions that disproportionately affect vulnerable and underserved populations, including First Nations communities, while advancing precision medicine and translational care. Collectively, their research aims to deliver safer vaccines, better diagnostics, and more equitable genomic and neurological healthcare.
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A 40-Year Journey: Insights from Tasmania’s Chief Nurse & Midwife
Reflecting on her nursing journey on the Tasmanian Health website on International Nurses Day 2025, Chief Nurse and Midwife, Francine Douce, has seen plenty of change since the start of her nursing and midwifery career, 42 years ago.
