A Hobart pain specialist who pioneered Tasmania’s first accredited pain medicine training program is now putting his creative side to work to give back.
Dr Gajinder Oberoi is donating the proceeds from his artwork and book Stories That Remain Untold to support local medical research.
Dr Oberoi, who spent nearly 30 years building specialist pain services at the Royal Hobart Hospital, is now channelling his artistic talents into helping the community through the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation.
“I have been helping people around the world manage their pain for the past four decades, of which almost thirty years in Tasmania,” he said.
“And I want to keep giving back to my community that has given me so much.”
Alongside his clinical work, Dr Oberoi, who is now semi-retired, has long been dedicated to research and education.
Over the years, he has authored and co-authored numerous papers in peer-reviewed medical journals, helping to advance knowledge and techniques in pain management.
The Indian-born doctor’s journey has taken him across continents. He first moved to Papua New Guinea in the late 1980s, where he set up the country’s first pain services and trained its inaugural pain specialists.
Seven years later, he relocated to Tasmania, where he went on to establish the state’s first accredited pain medicine training program.
Dr Oberoi credits Hobart’s laid-back pace for giving him the chance to grow creatively.
“Living here gave me something rare,” Dr Oberoi said. “Time.”
“In bigger cities, commuting takes hours. But in Hobart, everything is close. That gave me the space to think, connect deeply with patients and eventually create.”
Steph Furler, CEO of the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation, praised Dr Oberoi’s generosity.
“He has already left a lasting legacy through his work as a doctor and now he’s supporting future health improvements for Tasmanians in such a thoughtful, creative way,” she said.
Proceeds from his paintings and book will help fund vital research and patient care initiatives at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
