Registered nurses Aswin Prasannakumar and Chithranjana Chandrasenan, are delighted to discover a side of familiarity in Mackay, where the warm climate, lush greenery and scenic beaches remind them deeply of their homeland in Southern India. Yet, it’s the gracious welcome from their colleagues and the warm introduction to the local Indian community, that makes them feel at home.
The couple arrived earlier this year in mid-February and are eager to find a place to call home so they can be reunited with their 14-month-old daughter Janvi who is in the hands of their family in India.
After spending the last four years working in Nottingham in the United Kingdom, Cithra (Chithranjana shortened) said, “Mackay is very friendly; it’s very calm and quiet here compared to the UK and the people are all very nice”.
They decided to leave the UK for a warmer climate when their “baby started developing eczema which is very common because of the weather in the UK”.
“This was when we first thought about moving to somewhere really hot like Australia.”
Through a nursing agency, the couple became part of an international recruitment program and were drafted into a group of registered nurses to be based in Townsville. They were both keen to work within their nursing specialities; intensive care for Aswin and coronary care for Chithra.
“We had our applications transferred to Mackay and were then reinterviewed,” Aswin said.
“It was a blind decision to come to Mackay, but we are really so happy we did.”
One of the greatest challenges they face as a parent, is being separated from baby Janvi while they settle into their new lifestyle in Mackay.
“We came to this country not knowing anyone. It hasn’t been easy, but we are very happy to be here and to be preparing a very good future for our daughter,” Chithra said.
The couple, who have permanent residency and a three-year contract with MHHS, are now looking forward to moving out of staff accommodation, setting up their home and reuniting with their daughter.
In the next few months, Aswin is looking forward to doing some fishing, playing cricket and hopefully having a few wildlife encounters.
“It’s on our bucket list. A lot of our friends and past patients in the UK keep asking if we have seen a kangaroo yet,” he said.
Contributed By Mackay Hospital and Health Service
Aswin Prasannakumar and Chithranjana Chandrasenan, registered nurses at Mackay Base Hospital
Image Sourced from Mackay Hospital and Health Service (Facebook)
