New health specialist arrives

Two of the 87 passengers who arrived on Thursday last week were the newly appointed Public Health Specialist Dr Douglas Lush and his wife Mary McLean (pictured).

Douglas Lush, who started working for Te Marae Ora a month ago, is a medical doctor with specialisations in public health and general practice. He was born in Auckland and has worked in many places including Australia, London, Geneva, Bermuda, and Tairawhiti (NZ East Coast) during the course of his career. He now lives in Wellington with his wife, and one of their two adult daughters.

Prior to starting work with TMO, Lush was the principal clinical advisor for the NZ Covid Response from March 2020 until the end of August 2021.

“I’m delighted to finally be in Rarotonga after working with the team remotely for the past month. Our experience from arrival through to the Edgewater Hotel was welcoming and efficient, despite the very late hour. I look forward to meeting my colleagues and others, and getting to know these beautiful islands, once we have finished our quarantine” said Lush, not long after he arrived.