Well-known Sutherland Shire doctor Peter Malouf has decided to hang up his stethoscope after 49 years working as a GP in Sylvania.
Dr Malouf is perhaps best known in the shire for his time with the Cronulla Sharks – having worked as the team doctor for the best part of 40 years.
Dr Malouf will tell you he isn’t thrilled about his decision to retire as a GP but feels the time is right at age 78.
“The saddest thing about retiring is that patients that I have looked after for a long time, I am going to miss the rapport that I have with them.”
He joined the Sharks during their inaugural season in first grade in 1967 and stayed on as the team doctor until 2006. Dr Malouf opened his practice in Sylvania shortly after starting out with the Sharks, having previously worked at Sutherland Hospital.
“I got to the point where I was enjoying what I was doing and the Sharks wanted me to stay on, so I decided instead of going overseas to do my higher degree I would stay and open up a practice here in 68.”
His practice, Malouf P J, has not moved since.
Dr Malouf said he had looked after some families in the shire over generations, such as Sharks great Steve Rogers’ family.
“With the Rogers family I looked after the father, I looked after Steve, I looked after Steve’s sons, and I looked after their children.”
He said working with the Sharks was a highlight over the years, but there were plenty of other special memories as well. For example, he recalled helping a local family whose son almost drowned in a pool.
“When I got up there he had been under the water perhaps 30 minutes,” he said.
“His mother had done all the work. She had been giving him resuscitation and everything like that. I took over and we weren’t sure if he would survive or what his brain was going to be like.
“Well, he went to school here and topped the HSC, and is now one of Sydney’s leading doctors.
“Things like that. I mean most of the work had been done by his mother, but the family still come in here … and those are the sorts of things that happen. And something like that is very special.”
Dr Malouf has three children two of which followed in his foot steps and also became doctors.
He was awarded an OAM in 2007 for service to medicine, particularly as a physician to a range of sporting and recreational organisations.
Dr Malouf will see his last patients next week before retiring. His practice on Box Rd will close after he retires.
