Shock closure! Mountain View Medical Centre closes its doors after 38 years

The Mountain View Medical Centre at Mossman is closing its doors after 38 years of attending to local patients.

The closure has shocked the community many of whom have been attending the practise for most of their life and the lives of their children.

Owner says she had no choice

The decision was made by the owner Louise Cooper who told Newsport she made the heartbreaking decision for financial reasons and difficulties in finding doctors.

“Most doctors during the Pandemic have stayed put and it’s impossible to get anyone” she said.

There is currently only two doctors attending to patients.

Ms Cooper, who is currently in Cairns, has owned the practise for four years and is upset that’s its her who is shutting it down after decades of faithful service to the community.

Fighting back tears Ms Cooper said she felt she was letting the community down “I’d love it to be different but sometimes you’ve got to make a hard decision to cut losses, and this is one of those times”

Locals were gobsmacked when told the news of the impending closure.

Warren's worried and steps in to help

Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch says he’s most concerned by this closure and is fielding phone calls and emails from concerned locals.

“This is a major medical practise catering to fifteen hundred people” he says

“My office has been corresponding with the nearby Mossman Medical Centre and they have indicated they can employ both doctors and maybe even some of the reception, administration and nursing staff”

It’s believed one of the Mountain View doctors has accepted a position and further talks will continue with other staff.

Mossman Medical Centre has also assisted in seeing some Mountain View patients.

Warren Entsch told Newsport this is an opportunity for someone else to come in and fill the void, maybe even an outfit from Cairns.

Locals shocked

Caroline Herrington who works a few doors down at Jay Dee’s Variety Store says she was shocked to hear the news “It’s a great loss to the community and I brought my family up through that practise, my children were babies when I first took them there, now they are in their twenties”

Mountain View Medical Centre was founded in 1984 by Dr Bob Lanskey and his wife Jenny.

Dr Bob’s motto was always ‘Cure Some, Comfort most, but Care for all’ but now that sentiment is only a distant memory.

Helen Dibartolo from Mossman is another who is totally shocked “I’m so sad today, I’ve been going there for as long as I can remember and to think it’s going at the end of this week is awful news”

Cignall owner Marin Maricic told Newsport “It’s such a shame, the town doesn’t need this now, we should be coming out of this Covid thing better and I’m saddened by this news”

Warren Entsch says he respectfully encourages the owner to make sure all staff entitlements are paid in full.

Owner Louise Cooper says the doors will close at Mountain View on Friday at 4pm.