A GP who has practised in Grimethorpe for 37 years is retiring at the end of this month.
Venkat Ramulu, 74, came to England from India in 1977 and trained in Lincoln. He opened his Grimethorpe practice in December 1981 and also a branch surgery in Cudworth.
He has seen many changes over the years, but says the telephone system and triage system are two of the biggest.
He said: “In those days, there were no telephones, or mobiles. We used to carry money in our pockets for the phone box and we used to ring from different phone boxes.
“There was also no triage system in those days. Now when people ring for a visit or have a problem or need advice, the administrative staff sort it out or put it to a doctor.
“In those days, we used to go and see people. There was nothing like the NHS111 phone number or iHeart if people needed advice.
“The phone system makes things a lot easier.”
Dr Ramulu, who lives in Hemsworth, said he was looking forward to spending more time with his wife, children and grandchildren and has a holiday planned.
He said: “My children are all grown up and my wife is at home. I thought I would spend some time with my wife and grandchildren, which I couldn’t do before.”
Dr Ramulu will retire on March 31 but said he was keeping his registration with the General Medical Council in case he changed his mind and wanted to do a different job.
He added: I’m grateful to my staff and my practice manager who joined before I joined. We are like a little family.”
The surgeries will remain open.
An open session will be held on Saturday April 14 from 10am to 1pm at the Grimethorpe Surgery, Acorn Way for patients past and present to see Dr Ramulu and say their goodbyes.
